Tulane University
UAB
Burse's Free Throws Lift Tulane Past UAB
Jan 7, 2000 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2000
NEW ORLEANS, La. - - Janell Burse hit a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run as No. 19 Tulane posted a 74-73 come-from-behind win over Conference USA rival UAB at Fogelman Arena on Friday.
With Tulane down 73-65 with 4:16 left, Grace Daley scored five straight points to pull the Green Wave to within three with 1:32 remaining. Fabrecia Roberson added two free throws with 1:12 left to get Tulane to within a point, setting up Burse's heroics. Tulane, who had entered the game shooting just 67.9 percent from the free throw line, connected on 17-of-20 attempts for the game (85.0 percent), including five straight in the final 1:32.
With the win, Tulane improves to 13-0, tying the Conference USA record for consecutive wins in the process. The Green Wave also won its 15th straight home game and improved to 2-0 in C-USA play. UAB dropped to 8-5 overall and is now 0-2 in league action, though both losses have come by a single point.
All-American Grace Daley led the way with 23 points, 16 coming in the second half, while also adding six rebounds and a game-high five assists. Janell Burse chipped in 15 points, seven reounds and five blocked shots, while Sarah Goree had 13 points. Fabrecia Roberson scored 10 points and freshman Britt Themann added 11 points, including a 3-of-5 performance from the three-point line.
After taking a 39-36 advantage into the locker room, Tulane increased its lead to as many as six early in the second half. But UAB answered with a 9-0 run for a three point advantage, 50-47, at the 13:30 mark. The teams traded baskets before a Daley lay-up gave the Wave a 63-62 lead at the 7:03 mark. UAB again fought back, using an 11-2 run capped by a Lisa Jackson three-pointer, to take a 73-65 lead. But that basket would be UAB's final points, as the Wave rallied to remain one of three unbeaten Division I teams.
Tulane connected on 45.5 percent of its shots (25-of-55), while holding UAB to just 39.1 percent shooting (25-of-64), but the Lady Blazers stayed in the game thanks to its rebounding, holding a 48-26 edge in that category. The Green Wave forced 17 UAB turnovers and had seven blocked shots.
UAB led by as many as seven early in the first half, and had an 18-12 advantage at the 8:48 mark, before a 7-0 Tulane run gave the Green Wave a 19-18 lead with 6:13 left in the stanza. With the score tied at 29-29, a Britt Themann three-pointer and a Sarah Goree lay-up gave the Wave a five-point cushion. After a pair of UAB free throws cut the lead to three, Goree added another lay-up and a free throw for a six-point Tulane cusion with four seconds left. However, UAB's Lisa Jackson hit three free throws with no time left on the clock to cut the Wave margin to just three at the break.
Preseason All-Conference USA selection Deanna Jackson had just 13 points, including just two points in the second half after a 1-of-6 shooting performance, though the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year did tie her career-high with 18 rebounds. Mia Thrash led UAB with 14 points, while Cristy Smith chipped in 13.
Tulane returns to action on Sunday, playing host to league rival Memphis at Fogelman Arena. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
