Tulane University
East Carolina
Bench Play Lifts Tulane Past East Carolina
Feb 28, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2003
GREENVILLE, N.C. - -
Tulane 85, East Carolina 64 - Box Score
The Tulane women's basketball team used a 20-5 run down the stretch to break open a close game en route to an 85-64 win over East Carolina at Williams Arena on Friday.
Tulane won its fifth straight to improve to 19-7 overall and 10-3 in Conference USA play. East Carolina, which had a two-game winning streak snapped, dropped to 12-14 overall and 4-9 in league action.
The Green Wave led by 12 with just over eight minutes left in the game, only to see East Carolina score six straight points to cut the lead to just six, 63-57, with 6:23 left. The teams traded baskets, and Tulane led 65-59, when the Green Wave exploded for 11 straight points to essentially put the game away. Delacey Joseph started the run with a jumper in the lane before Kelly Nadeau hit a long-range three-pointer to put the Wave up by 11. Tiffany Wilson added a lay-up on an assist by Nadeau before Nadeau hit two technical foul free throws and Joseph connected on two free throws of her own to give Tulane a 76-59 lead with 2:48 left. An East Carolina lay-up ended the Tulane run, but Joseph rattled home a three-pointer and Lakethia Hampton added a free throw to five Tulane an 80-61 lead with just over a minute to play.
"We really got a great contribution from our bench tonight, especially from Lakethia Hampton and Tymeka Moore," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "East Carolina really gave us a great test tonight, but I am really proud of the way we executed down the stretch, both on offense and defense."
Teana McKiver, who played at East Carolina as a true freshman in 1998-99 before transferring, led Tulane with 16 points and 12 rebounds for her third straight double-double. Hampton came off the bench to tie a career-high with 16 points, while Gwen Slaughter just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Both McKiver and Hampton were 7-of-9 from the floor.
The Green Wave had a 41-26 edge in rebounding, aided by a 25-11 margin on the boards in the second half. Tulane also got 36 points from its bench, while the the Pirates reserves contributed just 12. For the game, Tulane was 32-of-59 from the floor (54.2 percent), while holding East Carolina to just 39.3 percent shooting (22-of-56). The Wave were also solid from the free throw line, connecting on 15-of-21 attempts (71.4 percent), including a 12-of-15 performance (80.0 percent) from the charity stripe in the second half..
Tulane will close out the regular season with a Sunday contest against current C-USA leader Charlotte. That game will be televised in the New Orleans area on Cox Sports Television with a 12 p.m. CST tip-off.
