Women's Hoops To Take On Louisiana Tech Friday In Ruston
Dec 1, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2011
Coach Stockton's Comments Heading Into Friday's Game At Louisiana Tech
Tulane Game Notes
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University women's basketball team returns to action on Friday, Dec. 2, when the Green Wave travel to Ruston to take on Louisiana Tech at the Thomas Assembly Center. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The game against the Lady Techsters is the third of five straight away from Fogelman Arena for the Green Wave and the first of three consecutive road contests as Tulane went 1-1 on a neutral court last week at the Cancun Challenge. Following Friday's game in Ruston, the Green Wave will head directly to Starkville, Miss., where they will take on Mississippi State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
"This is a little bit like what we do in our conference," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "I think it's important in the non-conference season to go on the road to play in different environments because that gets you ready for conference play. Another thing is to be able to have games close to each other whether it's a tournament like we were in or one day in between, just to prepare our players to move on. All of the scouting and all the preparations is so different for these (freshmen), so this is always a good challenge."
The Green Wave head to Ruston 5-1 on the year after falling to nationally-ranked Purdue, 61-48, and downing Idaho State, 45-37, during the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 24 and 25, respectively.
As a team, the Green Wave are averaging 63.3 points, 43.7 rebounds, 16.0 assists, 11.3 steals and 5.3 blocks per game. Freshman guard Danielle Blagg and junior guard Olivia Grayson lead the team with identical 11.5 point-per-game averages while senior center Brett Benzio and freshman guard Jamie Kaplan follow with averages of 8.8 and 7.8, respectively. Benzio has a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game and paces the squad with nine blocks. Grayson leads the Wave with 28 assists and 18 steals.
Tulane has connected at a .389 clip from the field in 2011-12, hitting 143-of-368 shots from the floor, and 32-of-92 shots from beyond the 3-point arc (.348), while allowing opponents to shoot .318 overall (107-of-336) and .277 from 3-point land (26-of-94). Green Wave opponents, meanwhile, are averaging 48.8 points, 37.7 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 10.3 steals and 3.3 blocks per game so far in 2011-12.
The Green Wave are 4-0 against teams from Louisiana so far this season, but Tulane will take on a Louisiana Tech team it has never defeated as the Lady Techster hold an 8-0 advantage in the all-time series.
The series dates back to the first season of Tulane women's hoops when Louisiana Tech earned a 99-52 victory on Feb. 22, 1977, in the LAIAW State Tournament in Ruston, La. That was the first of five games played between the two teams in north Louisiana and the last matchup in Ruston, Louisiana Tech rolled to a 96-37 win on Dec. 2, 2003. Under Stockton, Tulane is 0-4 against the Lady Techsters, including a 78-72 loss last Dec. 17 in Fogelman Arena.
"Being at Tulane for as long as I have and seeing Louisiana Tech and where they were, I think it's significant for us," Stockton said. "We've been able to defeat a lot of opponents but that's one that we haven't been able to get. It is a tough place to play and we've got to be ready for the challenge. They get a great fan base, they're tough at home so it's certainly going to be a challenge."
Louisiana Tech enters the weekend 2-4 on the year and coming off a trip the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam where it sandwiched an 84-71 win over Old Dominion on Friday around losses to Seton Hall (72-69 on Thursday) and Alabama (67-59 on Saturday).
As a team, the Lady Techsters are averaging 68.7 points, 32.5 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 7.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. Shantale Bramble-Donaldson leads the team in scoring and rebounds with respective averages of 12.5 and 6.7. She is one of three Louisiana Tech players to average double-digit scoring totals as Jasmine Bendolph has 12.2 adn Kiara Young adds 10.7 per game. Bramble-Donaldson paces the squad with 10 steals and shares the team lead in blocks with Tavasha Anderson at four each. Bendolph has a team-best 31 assists.
Louisiana Tech is hitting 45.5 percent of its shots from the field, connecting on 157-of-345 attempts, including a 38-of-100 showing from beyond the 3-point line (.380). The Lady Techsters' defense has allowed opponents to connect at a 45.0 shooting percentage (153-of-340) and a 28.0 clip from 3-point land (21-of-75). Louisiana Tech opponents are averaging 71.3 points, 38.5 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 8.7 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
Following this weekend's games, the Green Wave out the three-game road swing on Friday, Dec. 9, when they travel to Denton, Texas, to take on the Mean Green of North Texas. Tulane's next home game is slated for Sunday, Dec. 11, when the Wave play host to Southern at 2 p.m. in Fogelman Arena.
For tickets to that game and future Green Wave home events, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office either in person, over the phone at 504-861-WAVE (9283) or via the Internet at www.TulaneGreenWave.com. The Ticket Office located on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center on Ben Weiner Drive, is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
