Women's Basketball To Host Tulane/DoubleTree Classic
Dec 27, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 27, 2011
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University women's basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 28, when the Green Wave play host to Central Michigan, College of Charleston and Hampton in the 2011 Tulane/DoubleTree Classic at Fogelman Arena.
The Green Wave open tournament play at 6 p.m. when they square off against the College of Charleston Cougars and Central Michigan will face Hampton at 8 p.m. The two-day event concludes on Thursday with the consolation game slated for 6 p.m. while the championship contest is schedule for 8 p.m.
"This year's tournament maybe doesn't have as many name teams that people would know, but these teams are better than some of the teams we've had here in the last few years," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "Hampton was an NCAA tournament team last year that returns pretty much everyone. Central Michigan is a team that beat Purdue, which beat us, and is really playing well. That's going to be a tough opponent.
"College of Charleston just played Connecticut and playing that kind of competition speaks for itself. It's going to be a great tournament and we're going to have to be focused to finish off the non-conference season."
The Green Wave enter the Tulane/DoubleTree Classic 9-2 on the year and riding the high of a three-game winning streak after sandwiching road wins at North Texas (55-47 on Dec. 9) and Louisiana-Lafayette (75-40 on Dec. 22) around a 66-59 come-from-behind victory over Southern at Fogelman Arena on Dec. 11.
As a team, the Green Wave are averaging 62.9 points, 43.2 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game. Junior guard Olivia Grayson leads the team with a 13.7 point-per-game average while senior center Brett Benzio and freshman guard Danielle Blagg follow with marks of 9.2 and 8.2, respectively. Benzio has a team-best 9.6 rebounds per game and paces the squad with 20 blocks. Grayson leads the Wave with 37 assists and 33 steals.
Tulane is connecting at a .384 clip from the field in 2011-12, hitting 250-of-651 shots from the floor, and 56-of-173 shots from beyond the 3-point arc (.324), while allowing opponents to shoot .326 overall (203-of-623) and .292 from 3-point land (50-of-171). Green Wave opponents are averaging 51.0 points, 37.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 10.8 steals and 3.3 blocks per game so far in 2011-12.
College of Charleston, meanwhile, comes to town 2-8 on the year and looking to snap a three-game losing streak after falling at Davidson 56-39 on Dec. 17, at Appalachian State 71-52 on Dec. 19 and at home against No. 2 UConn 72-42 on Dec. 21.
As a team, the Cougars are averaging 44.2 points, 39.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 10.4 steals and 4.9 blocks per game. Cathryn Hardy and Megan Fischer lead the team in scoring with idental 7.1 point-per-game averages while Christy Hewatt is next with a 6.6 clip. Latisha Harris leads the squad with 7.3 rebounds per game and 14 blocks. Jillian Brown paces the team with 30 assists and 24 steals.
College of Charleston is hitting 28.9 percent of its shots from the field, connecting on 145-of-502 attempts, including a 34-of-135 showing from beyond the 3-point line (.252). The Cougar defense has allowed opponents to connect at a 36.7 shooting percentage (224-of-610) and a 21.8 clip from 3-point land (38-of-174). College of Charleston opponents are averaging 60.1 points, 43.8 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 13.8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game.
The 2011 Tulane/Doubletree Classic marks the 16th consecutive year the Green Wave host the tournament. Tulane is now 27-3 all-time in the event, winning the team title from 1996-2002 and again in 2004, 2006 and from 2008-10.
The Green Wave won their first 14 DoubleTree Classic contests before falling to Marist in the 2003 opener, 60-46, on Dec. 27. Tulane won the event two of the next five seasons before posting consecutive championships the last three years.
All of Tulane's losses in the DoubleTree Classic have come in the first day as the Green Wave are a perfect 15-0 in day two - 12-0 in championship games and 3-0 in consolation contests.
Game two of Wednesday's Tulane/DoubleTree Classic will feature the 7-5 Central Michigan Chippewas against the 8-2 Hampton Pirates. Central Michigan heads to The Big Easy riding the crest of a five-game winning streak after downing Purude 75-62 on Dec. 11, Ole Miss 78-75 in overtime on Dec. 14, Southeast Missouri 100-59 on Dec. 18, Longwood 70-59 on Dec. 19, and Wright State 65-60 on Dec. 20.
As a team, the Chippewas are averaging 73.3 points, 44.6 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 12.8 steals and 4.6 blocks per game. Crystal Bradford leads the team with 14.6 points per game while Jas'Mine Bracey and Jessica Green follow with respective averages of 11.2 and 10.3. Bradford also paces Central Michigan with 7.6 rebounds per contest, 20 blocks and 28 steals while Brandie Baker has a club-best 38 assists.
Hampton comes to New Orleans fresh off a 71-63 win at Boston College on Dec. 22. As a team, the Pirates are averaging 63.5 points, 41.6 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 10.3 steals and 3.8 blocks per game. Choicetta McMillian leads the team with 16.4 points per game while Jericka Jenkins and Melanie Warner follow with averages of 12.9 and 10.8, respectively. Warner paces Hampton with 7.2 rebounds per contest and Ariel Phelps headlines the squad with 15 blocks. Jenkins has a team-best 59 assists while McMillian has 21 steals.
For tickets to the Tulane/DoubleTree Classic 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.
