Women's Basketball Set To Tackle LSU
Dec 29, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - - The Tulane women's basketball team returns to action on Tuesday, as the Green Wave play host to in-state rival LSU at the New Orleans Arena. The game, played at the home of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, will close out a five-game homestand for the Green Wave.
Tulane enters Tuesday's contest with a 5-5 record after having split two games at the DoubleTree Classic this past weekend. After a 1-3 start, the Wave have rebounded to win four of its last six outings.
Junior Lakethia Hampton leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, contributing 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. Senior Kelly Nadeau is the only other Wave player averaging double figures, chipping in 11.8 points per contest and a team-best 31 assists through 10 games.
LSU enters Tuesday's game with a 10-2 overall record thanks to a nine-game winning streak. The Tigers have four players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore Seimone Augustus' 15.8 points per game average. Doneeka Hodges adds 14.3 points, while Temeka Johnson chips in 13.8 points per contest. Scholanda Hoston rounds out the double figure scorers with 10.4 points per game
Tuesday's game will mark the 25th meeting between the two schools, dating back to the 1975-76 season. LSU owns a 21-3 edge in the all-time series, though the Tigers have just a 4-3 advantage against Lisa Stockton-coached Tulane teams.
Tuesday's game is the first contest between the two teams since Dec. 10, 2000 - a 68-61 LSU in Baton Rouge. Tulane has won the last two games in New Orleans, but those games were played at Fogelman Arena (Dec. 31, 1999 and Nov. 29, 1997).
For the third straight season, Tulane will play a home game in the New Orleans Arena. This season, the Wave will take on in-state rival LSU in the facility, which also serves as the home of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.
Tulane has had a pair of close calls in its two games in the Arena. The Wave played the first-ever NCAA Division I women's game at the Arena on Nov. 29, 2001, but dropped a hard-fought 64-52 decision to Purdue. Last season, Tulane came up just short against Louisiana Tech (Dec. 7, 2002).
The New Orleans Arena will be the site of the 2004 NCAA Women's Final Four, with Tulane serving as the host institution.
