No. 15 Georgetown Vs. No. 18 Memphis: Can The Tigers Stay Undefeated At Home?

GAME NOTES: Georgetown opened the season with eight consecutive victories before finally tasting defeat at the hands of the Temple Owls. Since that setback, the Hoyas have managed back-to-back wins, including a 99-75 triumph over Loyola- Maryland. With the exception of games against Temple and Missouri, the schedule has been rather soft for Georgetown, but things will get much more difficult when Big East Conference play begins.

As for Memphis, a member of Conference USA, it has put together back-to-back victories to improve to 9-1 overall. Monday's clash with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was a bit too close for comfort, but the result was a 68-63 victory nonetheless. The lone loss thus far came against Kansas, and like Georgetown, Memphis has plenty of wins over inferior opposition.

Georgetown owns a 7-2 series lead over Memphis, which includes an overtime victory over the Tigers two seasons ago.

The Hoyas have excelled at the offensive end of the court this season, as they are generating 80.5 ppg on 52.5 percent shooting from the field, including 42.5 percent from three-point range. Austin Freeman is the leading scorer for Georgetown, as he is netting 18.5 ppg on 55.2 percent field goal efficiency, including 48.2 percent from behind the arc. Jason Clark provides 14.2 ppg, and he has also been tremendous efficient offensively. Rounding out a trio of double-digit scorers is Chris Wright, the team's point guard, who is netting 13.2 ppg to complement his 74 assists and 22 steals.The Hoyas connected on 64.2 percent of their field goal attempts in the blowout victory over Loyola- Maryland last time out. Sure, Georgetown was outrebounded in that tilt, a rarity this season, but the club had 10 more assists than turnovers and got double-digit scoring efforts from four players. Freeman led the way with 14 points.

Memphis was dealt a difficult blow when leading scorer Wesley Witherspoon injured his knee last week. Witherspoon, who is averaging 13.0 ppg, is expected to miss at least another month, and his production will be tough to replace. Joe Jackson is now the club's leading active scorer with 11.5 ppg, and Will Barton is close behind with 11.4 ppg. Still, both of those players are rather inconsistent shooters and need to prove capable of carrying the squad for short stretches. The Tigers are netting 80.3 ppg while surrendering just 67.2 ppg on 38.5 percent field goal efficiency by opponents. In the closer-than-expected, five-point victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday, Memphis made good on only 39.6 percent of its field goal attempts, including a 5-of-16 showing from behind the arc. Fortunately, the club was able to earn a 21-6 edge in points from the foul line. Jackson was outstanding in that affair, as he finished with 23 points. Will Coleman added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Charles Carmouche added 12 points.

Memphis has yet to play a true road game this season, and that has certainly played a major role in the team's hot start. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they figure to suffer their second loss of the season tonight, as Georgetown is simply a better team.

GAME NOTES: FedEx Forum will be full of energy this evening, as the 18th- ranked Memphis Tigers host the 15th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas in what promises to be a hard-fought non-conference battle.

FACTS & STATS: Site: FedExForum (18,165) -- Memphis, Tennessee. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: Georgetown 5-0, Memphis 8-0. Away Record: Georgetown 1-1, Memphis 0-0. Neutral Record: Georgetown 4-0, Memphis 1-1. Conference Record: Georgetown 0-0, Memphis 0-0. Series Record: Georgetown leads, 7-2.

Georgetown 77, Memphis 71