Tulane University
UL- Monroe
Women's Basketball Falls To UL Monroe
Nov 21, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - -
Final Box - UL Monroe 70, Tulane 67
Junior transfer Natalie Walsh had two chances in the final six seconds to send the game to overtime, but both of her attempts rattled in and out as UL Monroe posted a 70-67 win over the Tulane women's basketball team at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Friday night.
Tulane dropped its season opener for the first time since the start of the 1998-99 season, falling to 0-1. UL Monroe moves to 1-0 on the young season, winning its season opener for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
With the score tied at 67-67, UL Monroe's Michelle Biley hit one of two free throws to give the Indians a one-point lead. Tulane could not convert on its offensive end, but forced a miss from UL Monroe on the opposite end of the floor. Another Green Wave miss resulted in a foul, giving a pair of free throws to ULM's Stephanie Williams. She converted on both to give the Indians a 70-67 lead with 16 seconds left. Walsh launched her first three-point attempt with six seconds left, but her effort hit the rim, caromed off the backboard, off the rim again and out of bounds to ULM with 1.7 seconds left. However, an in-bounds violation by the Indians gave Walsh and the Wave another shot at redemption. But Walsh's second attempt also caromed off the rim giving ULM the victory.
"We had a couple of pretty good looks at the basket at the end," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "There aren't too many other people I'd rather having taking those shots than Natalie. She is a tremendous shooter, but they just didn't fall tonight."
Junior Kinya Lennix scored a career high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while also adding six rebounds. Lakethia Hampton also had 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Seniors Kelly Nadeau and Tiffany Wilson each had 12 points, with Nadeau adding six assists and seven steals.
The Green Wave were victimized by 29 turnovers and poor free throw shooting, connecting on just 9-of-24 attempts from the charity stripe. UL Monroe had a 42-40 edge in rebounding, but pulled down 19 offensive rebounds and scored 18 second-chance points.
"It is pretty simple," Stockton added. "Our free throw shooting was poor and in a physical game like tonight, you have to hit your free throws. Kinya gave us some great minutes tonight, but we just weren't in sync tonight."
Tulane returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 29 as part of a doubleheader with the Green Wave men's team. The Wave women take on Oregon State at 6 p.m., with the Green Wave men's team tackling Southern following.
