University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Tulane
Lady Tigers Again Battle Back, But Come Up Short
Jan 22, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2006
NEW ORLEANS, La. - With a 52-36 advantage in the rebounding category, the Tulane Green Wave (8-7, 2-4 C-USA) won their second C-USA game of the season with a 74-58 win over Memphis (2-15, 0-6).
Memphis opened the first half with three straight turnovers, allowing Tulane out to a quick 7-0 lead with 17:25 remaining before Devin Necaise and Paris Leonard combined for 10 points to pull Memphis within one at 11-10 with 13:56 remaining in the opening stanza. But following the under 12 minute media timeout, Tulane started pounding back inside as Dominique Philpots scored all six of her first half points during a Green Wave run that kept Tulane ahead 17-13.
"Where we really lost the game was in the last five minutes of the first half," Head Coach Blair Savage said. "Luckhurst coming in hurt us. She didn't get the start, for whatever reason, and she really went in there to prove a point and hurt us with those last eight points at the end of the first half.
The two teams would trade mini-runs throughout the half before foul trouble for Gresh Gorman and Paris Leonard bothered the Lady Tiger line-up as both picked up their third personal fouls around the three minute mark. With Leonard sidelined and with Necaise's defensive energy on the bench, Tulane released Mimi Luckhurst from the outside. Luckhurst would hit all eight of her first-half points in the last minute of the half to send Tulane into the lockerroom up 38-25. The three straight Luckhurst buckets and the inside post buckets helped the Green Wave shoot 42.4 percent for the opening half, while Memphis shot 34.4 percent with nine turnovers.
Memphis would cut the lead to 10 late in the second half off a three from Devin Necaise, but Tulane scored four of the next six points to keep Memphis at bay. The Lady Tigers resorted to fouling and sending the Green Wave players to the line, where they converted five straight free-throws to preserve the win.
Playing in front of a significant number of family members, junior guard Devin Necaise led Memphis with 21 points, while Paris Leonard added 17 points.
"It's not X's and O's we need to fix," Savage said, "it's defense and rebounding. You have to give credit to Tulane for taking us out of what we do best. Our spot-up shooters were forced to become drivers, our drivers were left open on the perimeter, they did a great job of taking us out of what we do."
Memphis will return home to host UCF, Friday, at 7 p.m. and will then host Southern Miss, Sunday, at 1 p.m. in a CSTV game live from the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
