Memphis wins its season opener

Tarik Black had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead No. 17 Memphis to an 81-66 victory over North Florida on Monday night. Memphis (1-0), which overcame a sluggish start in its season opener, eventually pulled away from North Florida in the middle stages of the first half and coasted through the second half. Joe Jackson finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Antonio Barton, who keyed Memphis' rally, scored 11 points. Jerron Granberry led the Ospreys (1-1) with 17 points, including 13 in the second half. Parker Smith scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from outside the arc while Charles McRoy added 10 points. The Tigers led by as many as 32 points in the second half. The Ospreys closed the deficit late as the Tigers went deep into their bench to finish the game. North Florida shot 39 percent overall, including 50 percent in the second half. Memphis shot 42 percent from the field. The Tigers led 47-25 at halftime behind 11 points from Barton and 10 from Black. Smith made three 3-pointers as North Florida took a 20-17 lead. Barton then scored 10 of the Tigers' next 12 points, kickstarting Memphis to a 19-0 run, part of a half-closing 30-5 spurt. The Tigers stretched the lead with a 19-9 run to open the second half, building its biggest lead at 66-34 with just under 14 minutes left.