Men's Basketball Stops Vasda In Exhibition Action, 80-66
Nov 11, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Four players scored in double figures to lead Tulane University to an 80-66 victory over Vasda USA in exhibition men's basketball action on Tuesday evening at Fogelman Arena.
Tulane, playing its first game of the year, was led by senior Ivan Pjevcevic, who scored 14 points to go with eight rebounds. Sophomore Quincy Davis tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots, while seniors Wayne Tinsley and George Brown each added 10 points.
Tulane had 11 players see action in the game, including 10 players logging 13 or more minutes. Four freshmen combined for 68 minutes and 20 points for the Wave, including Vincent Camper, who started at the point and scored four points with a game-high seven assists and just one turnover.
"We played hard; we played aggressive," Tulane coach Shawn Finney said. "Overall it was an excellent effort for the first outing. In exhibition games, I want to come out and work on the team and see what we can do, taking it as a practice game. We want to win, but we want to learn and improve.
"Vincent played 20 minutes and had seven assists and only one turnover, that's a big night for a freshman in his first game."
The Green Wave shot just 43.2 percent (35-of-81) from the field, while holding Vasda to 36.5 percent (23-of-63). Tulane was just 4-of-19 from three-point range, while Vasda kept in the game with the long-range game, hitting 10-of-22 treys. Shawn Hall led Vasda with a game-high 20 points, including five three-pointers.
"We can be a good shooting team," Finney said. "Some of it was first-game jitters, and the shot selection, knowing when and how to take shots."
"I know we can shoot the ball," Tinsley said. "I will just keep on getting it out to those guys, because I know they can hit the threes. I thought we played all right, it was a good game for the young guys to understand what the college game is like."
A Pjevcevic three-pointer at the end of the first half knotted the game at 37 apiece and then the Green Wave defense clamped down, holding Vasda to 30.3 percent (10-of-33) shooting in the second half.
With the score tied at 39 with 18:33 to go, Tulane rattled off eight straight points on layups as freshman Vincent Camper opened the run, followed by junior Ben Benfield, Davis and Pjevcevic, making the score 47-39 with 16:48 to go.
Vasda pilled within eight at 53-45 with remaining on a Daryl Hamilton dunk, but Tulane used a 12-2 run kicked off by a Dan Fitzgerald three-pointer to build a 65-47 advantage with 6:06 to go in the game.
The Wave lead would grow to a game-high 21 on a pair of free throws from senior Marc Siegel with 4:17 to go.
Tulane held a 48-14 scoring advantage in the paint while turning the ball over just 14 times. Vasda had 21 turnovers.
The Green Wave will play its final exhibition game of the year next Wednesday evening, hosting Global Sports at 7 p.m. The regular season opener is Tuesday, Nov. 25 against Southern University at 8 p.m. Single-game and season tickets are still available by calling 504-861-WAVE.
