Tulane University
LSU
Women's Basketball Defeats LSU 54-52 In Baton Rouge
Nov 23, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2010
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BATON ROUGE, La. - As the Green Wave's bus pulled onto the LSU campus for the midweek match-up of state rivals, Tulane head women's basketball coach Lisa Stockton got her team's attention and announced that she wanted to play a song to motivate her team for the ballgame.
As Black Eyed Peas' "Tonight's Going To Be A Good Night" blared through the speakers, Stockton simply asked her team if they were ready to "make it a good night." Two hours after the chorus of cheers went off within the confines of the bus, the team found themselves celebrating in front of 2,767 fans as the Tulane University women's basketball team defeated LSU, 54-52, Tuesday evening in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
With the win, the Green Wave remain undefeated on the year and improve to 4-0 for just the sixth time in program history and the first time since the 2001-02 season. The victory also snapped the Tigers' (2-3) 33-game winning streak against Louisiana opponents, dating back to Tulane's 76-72 win over LSU on Dec 31, 1999, in Fogelman Arena.
"First, I'm very happy for our seniors," Stockton said. "This has been a very special group. They've been through a lot and I'm just very happy. A lot of them are Louisiana kids, and I'm glad they had this opportunity tonight. It was certainly not a pretty game. The percentages weren't great, but I thought our team fought hard."
As a team, the Green Wave hit just 31.7 percent of their shots from the field (19-of-60), including a 27.6 clip in the first half (8-of-29). The Tulane defense, however, held LSU to a 9-of-31 performance in the second half (.290) and turned 18 Tiger turnovers into seven points.
Sophomore guard Olivia Grayson score a game-high 21 points after connecting on 7-of-15 shots from the field, 2-of-6 beyond the 3-point arc, and 5-of-9 attempts from the charity stripe. Senior point guard Roshaunda Barnes was the only other Tulane player to post a double-digit scoring total with 12 while senior forward Brittany Lindsey and freshman wing Whitney Bibbins had eight and seven points, respectively. Bibbins led the Green Wave with seven rebounds, Barnes and Grayson had two assists each and Barnes had a game-high three steals.
The Green Wave got off to a good start as senior forward Tiffany Aidoo scored the game's opening points with a 3-pointer 12 seconds into the contest. Tulane led by six at 15-9 with 13:24 to go in the first half, but LSU answered with a 13-0 run over the next 6:36 to take a 22-15 advantage.
A pair of Lindsey free throws halted the streak and Grayson trey cut the deficit to a pair at 22-20 with 3:54 remaining before halftime. LSU's Katherine Graham scored the next four points on a jumper and a pair of free throws, and Grayson hit a jumper of her own with 10 seconds on the clock to make it a 26-22 affair at the break.
Undeterred by the four-point halftime deficit, Tulane used a 12-7 run over the first 6:27 of the second half to take a 34-33 advantage. Barnes keyed the second-half comeback with four consecutive baskets, including the go-ahead layup and another basket the next time down the floor to put the Green Wave on top, 36-34, with 12:59 on the clock.
"I was just focused and determined," Barnes said. "I wasn't going to be denied. Coach told me, `You're the fastest thing out there and you can get to the goal.' I just went to the goal and they dropped for me finally."
The two teams traded blows over the next nine-plus minutes and a Grayson layup with 3:58 left in regulation gave the Green Wave a 46-45 lead they would not relinquish.
The Tulane advantage swelled to as many as four twice and the Green Wave appeared to have the game in the bag with a 53-49 lead with 15.1 seconds left to play. LSU, however, refused to go away quietly. Adrienne Webb hit her fourth 3-pointer of the night with 7.9 seconds left to make it a one-point affair, but Grayson hit 1-of-2 free throws on the ensuing possession for what proved to be the final score.
The Tigers' Destini Hughes drew a blocking call with three-tenths of a second remaining, but both of her free throws were off the mark and the Tulane celebration was underway.
"I think that we've played good schedules and had good wins," Stockton said. "LSU's program has put itself at the elite level, and has done a tremendous job there. I am very proud. We felt like this is a game that would be one of those games at the end of the year that people would look back on, and it would be a good win for us.
"For us, it's about us building a resume and trying to make this team better than last year's team. I know that's a little focused on us, but I've played LSU probably way too much since I've been at Tulane. However, I've always thought this was a game we are so excited for, but sometimes that really hurt us. I don't want to put any more pressure or any more significance on this game than need be because it is only one of our thirty."
Webb led LSU with 16 points while Graham and Jeanne Kenney scored 12 and 10, respectively. Webb and Kenney tied for team-high rebounding honors with seven each, Latear Eason had a game-best three assists and the trio of Graham, Webb and Kenny each had one steal.
The Green Wave return to action on Saturday, Nov. 27, when they open play in the Colliers International Classic against Portland State in Berkeley, Calif. From there, Tulane will square off against either host Cal or Cal State Fullerton in the championship or consolation contests on Nov. 28.
Tulane's next home game will be on Friday, Dec. 3, when the Green Wave open play in the Big Easy Classic against St. Joseph's at 7 p.m. in Fogelman Arena.
Season tickets for the 2010-11 Tulane women's basketball season can still be purchased through the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office. Floor seats are $100 each while reserved and general admission tickets go for $85 and $50, respectively. In addition, Green Wave fans can purchase a Family 4-Pack (two adult, two youth tickets) for $150. Tulane faculty and staff can purchase season tickets at all levels for half price.
The Tulane Athletics Ticket Office is located on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center, and tickets can be purchased in person, over the phone at (504) 861-WAVE (9283) via the Internet at www.TulaneGreenWave.com.
