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Sports

‘No pressure' on UH going into Memphis territory

By CHRIS ELLIOTT
The Daily Cougar

The Memphis Tigers have lost only one Conference USA game in two years. This season, Memphis has dismantled every conference opponent it has faced, outscoring opponents by an average of 19.5 points per game on its way to a 12-0 C-USA record.

UH (15-12, 9-4 C-USA) lost by 10 points to Associated Press No. 7 Memphis (23-3 overall) in the teams' last matchup Jan. 11, but UH players said they think they stand a chance at beating the Tigers on Sunday in Memphis. There are some big things riding on this game for the Cougars: second place in C-USA, national recognition, a possible National Invitation Tournament bid and even  C-USA Tournament seeding.

The Cougars, however, are the underdogs who have been given little chance to upset the conference bully, and that's just the way UH head coach Tom Penders likes it.

"You want our players going in there with that feeling," Penders said. "That there's no pressure. It's a nice opportunity. We've just got to go in there and play tough."

One thing the Cougars will have in Sunday's 1 p.m. game that they didn't have in their last game against Memphis is junior forward Tafari Toney. The 6-8, 240-pound scrapper, who sat out the first half of the season with a knee injury, has given UH an inside presence and Penders said he could make a significant difference in the contest.

"He's been a real positive addition on our team," Penders said. "I think he can go in there and at least wrestle with some of the big people. He'll maybe get some rebounds and help Jahmar (Thorpe) and Dion (Dowell) out on the boards. I think he can go in there and battle. 

"You want to be at full strength when you play a team like Memphis, because they use a lot of people. They try to wear you down."

The game will be regionally televised on CBS.

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