Tulane Begins Crucial Stretch against Buffalo this Wednesday
Dec 5, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2006
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New Orleans - The Tulane men's basketball team begins a crucial pre-Christmas break stretch this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. when the Green Wave hosts Buffalo at Fogelman Arena.
Tulane (4-3, 0-0 C-USA) will set its sights on finishing its pre-Christmas schedule on a strong note, but will have to play against an up-and-coming Buffalo team, and then go on the road to face former Conference USA rival, TCU. Finally, the Wave returns home to host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 22. Tulane has played just two games away from its on-campus home this season, including at Indiana State and vs. LSU at New Orleans Arena.
The Green Wave is 4-2 at home this season, including a 4-1 record at Fogelman Arena, and has won four out of its last five home contests since falling to Butler (currently ranked No. 15/14) in the season opener. TU's lone loss in its last five games was a 74-67 decision to No. 10/12 LSU last Saturday. In its four home wins this season, Tulane has averaged 75 points per game, while limiting its opponents to 60 points in each contest.
For the year, the Wave is averaging 64.3 points and 35.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field, 30 percent from behind the three-point line and 62 percent from the free-throw line.
Junior David Gomez, senior Chris Moore and freshman Kevin Sims are TU's top scorers with 12.9, 10.4 and 10.0 points per game, respectively, while Gomez is also the leading rebounder with 5.3 boards per contest. Sims and senior Andrew Garcia lead the team in assists with 22 apiece.
A member of the Mid-America Conference, Buffalo (6-2, 0-0 MAC) enters the Tulane contest riding a three-game win streak and has won five out of its last six contests. The Bulls' losses this season were on the road at South Florida (77-61) and at Evansville (74-44), which came on Nov. 19. Since then Buffalo has rebounded with wins over Iona (65-54), at Temple (64-62) and Niagara (74-62). The Bulls are 2-2 on the road this season and are averaging 66.0 points but allowing its opponents 69.3 in away games.
Yassin Idbihi is one of three Bulls' players averaging double figures with 13.8 points per game, while Eric Moore is the second-leading scorer with 13.1 points per outing, and also leads the team in assists (28). Parnell Smith is the third UB player in double figures with 11.1 points per contest. Idbihi is also the top rebounder with 9.1 boards per game.
The Bulls are averaging 64.6 points and 36.8 points per game and are shooting 41 percent from the field, 29-percent from behind the three-point line and 69-percent from the foul line.
Wednesday's game marks the second all-time meeting between Tulane and Buffalo and the Green Wave leads the overall series, 1-0. The first and only previous meeting between the two schools took place in New Orleans on Jan. 7, 1982, and the Greenies dispatched the Bulls, 83-43.
