Women's Basketball Opens Home Portion Of Schedule
Dec 4, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - -
The Tulane women's basketball team opens the home portion of the 2002-03 season on Thursday, as the Green Wave welcome Alabama State to Fogelman Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Beginning with Tulane's game against Alabama State, the Green Wave will face three opponents in the span of just five days. And as if that task weren't daunting enough, all three opponents won at least 20 games last season. Alabama State, which starts the string of tough games, was 23-7 last season and finished second in the SWAC. Louisiana Tech, who Tulane will face on Saturday in the New Orleans Arena, was 25-5 last year and reached the NCAA Tournament after winning the WAC regular season and tournament titles. Tulane will then face Drake on Monday back in Fogelman. The Bulldogs were 25-8 last season, finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Tulane enters Thursday's game against Alabama State with a 2-1 record after splitting a paif of contests against Oregon State and Portland this past weekend. After dropping a 56-51 decision to Oregon State, Tulane rebounded with an 86-56 thrashing of Portland. Teana McKiver led Tulane with 18 points and seven rebounds against Portland, while the Wave bench outscored the Portland reserves 44-12. The win game Tulane mentor Lisa Stockton her 250th career victory as a head coach.
Alabama State is currently 1-3, but won their last outing with a 60-51 victory over UAB on Sunday. The Hornets boast a pair of preseason All-SWAC selections in Shameka Jackson and Chrishutta Lewis, with Jackson earning SWAC Preseason Player of the Year honors. Alabama State was also picked to finish first in the preseason SWAC poll.
Following Thursday's game with Alabama State, the Green Wave will play host to Louisiana Tech on Saturday in the New Orleans Arena. It will mark the second straight season that Tulane will have played a game in the downtown facility, as the Wave faced national power Purdue their last season.
