Green Wave Visit Western Kentucky on Sunday
Dec 5, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - After falling just short against New Orleans, the Tulane men's basketball team looks to rebound from the loss when they visit E.D. Diddle Arena at 1 p.m. CST on Sunday to face Western Kentucky.
The game will be broadcast on Fox College Sports and Direct TV and will be aired on the Tulane Sports Marketing Radio Network.
The Green Wave (3-4) fell 51-50 at home Wednesday night to New Orleans that snapped a two-game win streak. The Hilltoppers (2-3) lost at South Carolina on Wednesday.
"I'm very encouraged about our team going forward," Tulane head coach Dave Dickerson said. "We are playing a very difficult Western Kentucky team. If we go in and play the right way and step up with some confidence we will have a chance to win the game. "
Senior guard Kevin Sims led Tulane with 17 points against UNO and is averaging 10.0 points per game this season. Junior guard Kris Richard, who poured in 12 against the Privateers, is posting a team-high 13.7 points per contest this season.
Junior forward David Booker adds 8.6 points and a team-high 5.1 rebounds per outing.
Western Kentucky is led by guard A.J. Slaughter with 17.2 points per game, while forward Sergio Kerusch is scoring 13.6 per outing.
"There performance this year has not been as good as it was last year to this point," Dickerson said. "But they are very good. They are playing at home and they have great tradition. It is going to be a difficult game."
WKU's two wins came against UW-Milwaukee and at home to Cal State Northridge. The Hilltoppers, who have dropped two straight, lost at LSU, at home to Indiana State and at South Carolina.
The Hilltoppers enter the game shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and scoring 62.2 points per game. They allow their opponents to shot 45.9 percent and score 68.2 points.
Tulane is shooting 41.6 percent and posting 63.1 points per game. The Green Wave opposition has shot 41.8 percent and scored 63.7 points per game.
WKU defeated Tulane, 82-67, last season in Fogelman Arena on Dec. 6. That win for the Hilltoppers. Who advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Sun Belt Conference, is the fourth in as many games against the Green Wave.
This will be the first meeting between the two schools In Bowling Green.
Following the game Tulane will have nine days off for final exams before hosting McNeese State on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. CST in Fogelman Arena.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Tulane (3-4)
G 0 Kris Richard 6-5 180 Jr. 13.7 ppg 3.3 rpg 2.1 apg
G 1 Kevin Sims 5-10 169 Sr. 10.0 ppg 2.3 rpg 3.1 apg
F 20 Aaron Holmes 6-5 195 Jr. 7.7 ppg 3.0 rpg 1.3 spg
F 25 David Booker 6-7 235 Jr. 8.6 ppg 5.1 rpg 1.6 spg
F 4 Asim McQueen 6-7 240 Sr. 7.4 ppg 4.0 rpg 1.6 spg
Western Kentucky (2-3)
G 4 A.J. Slaughter 6-3 180 Sr. 17.2 ppg 2.8 rpg 2.4 apg
G 55 Anthony Sally 6-2 185 Sr. 3.4 ppg 3.6 rpg 3.2 apg
F 1 Sergio Kerusch 6-5 210 Jr. 13.6 ppg 6.4 rpg 1.2 apg
F 30 Steffphon Pettigrew 6-5 225 Jr. 9.8 ppg 6.0 rpg 0.8 spg
C 40 Jeremy Evans 6-9 190 Sr. 7.4 ppg 4.8 rpg 0.8 bpg
