Tulane University
UAB
Tulane Rally Not Enough Against UAB
Jan 28, 2004 | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Despite season-high contributions from its freshmen class, fatigue hit Tulane University and its men's basketball team fell 80-59 to UAB in Conference USA action on Wednesday evening at Bartow Arena.
Tulane (7-9, 0-5 C-USA) trailed by seven at the half and then saw UAB push the difference to 15 with 14:45 to go. However, Tulane coach Shawn Finney opted for a small lineup against the ferocious Blazer pressure. Small and young. Freshmen Chris Moore, Dan Fitzgerald and Kory Castine all played career-highs in minutes and sparked a 21-9 run to bring the Wave ithin three at 60-57 with 7:19 to go.
Moore and Fitzgerald each scored five in the run while junior point guard Marcus Kinzer directed the attack and scored five points in the run.
However, UAB (12-5, 5-1), which has won six of seven games, used a timeout and set up Morris Finley for a three-pointer to halt the Wave rally. And fatigue set in on the thin Wave squad. With just 10 scholarship players and one (Quincy Davis) missing the second half due to a bruised back, Tulane managed just two free throws the rest of the way as the Blazers closed the game with a 20-2 run.
"Fatigue definitely set in," Finney said. "We gave it everything we had to fight back into the game, but with so many guys playing more minutes than they are used to, and with their intense pressure, we lost a step.
"But we need to make tough plays. UAB showed toughness and pulled together to win. We need to learn how to be tougher and fight through adversity. We had shots, but we didn't make them when we needed to."
Kinzer scored 16 points to go with four rebounds and five assists, while Moore tallied a career-high for the third straight game; this time scoring 14 points. Vytas Tatarunas had nine points and nine rebounds.
Tulane connected on 5-of-10 three-pointers in the first half, but missed 9-of-11 second-half threes as UAB pulled away. Overall, the Wave hit 41.5 percent (22-of-53) of its shots, while UAB hit 46.9 percent (30-of-64). The full-court defense of the Blazers forced 23 Wave turnovers while Tulane forced just 13 turnovers by UAB. Tulane held a 36-33 advantage on the glass.
"We did some good things," Finney said. "I still see us getting better. Marcus played a great game; he took charge out there like we told him to and really looked for his offense."
Overall the Wave freshmen played 90 minutes. Their previous high was 69 on Saturday against Savannah State.
The loss was Tulane's seventh this year to a team which currently has 12 or more wins - UAB joins Louisville (15), Cincinnati (15), Memphis (12), Mississippi State (16), LSU (12) and Southeastern (12).
The Green Wave returns home on Saturday, hosting Southern Miss at 7:30 p.m. in the second game of a Tulane Basketball doubleheader at Fogelman Arena. The first game features the Wave women against Memphis. Tickets are available for the game by calling 504-861-WAVE.
