Tulane University
3-0
LSU
2-2
Tulane Earns Thrilling 51-45 Win Over LSU
Nov 19, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2014
BATON ROUGE, La. - With Tulane's last three wins against LSU decided by three points or less, tonight's back and forth battle between the in-state foes produced yet another thrilling contest in the rivalry. When it mattered most, the Green Wave captured two clutch rebounds and converted seven key free-throws under a minute remaining to earn a 51-45 victory inside the Maravich Center.
Tulane now moves to 3-0 for the fifth consecutive year. Furthermore, tonight's victory not only marks the program's third straight win in Baton Rouge, but also the Green Wave's fourth win in the past five games against the Tigers.
"It was really one of those games that was pretty sloppy, but at the end our defense came through for us. We were able to get some shots and hit some free throws. The offensive rebounds for LSU were really a problem for us. We just couldn't keep them off the boards, and I thought they did a tremendous job with that," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton stated.
Tulane came out red hot from beyond the arc, starting the game 4-4 from three-point range, with treys from Kaplan, Morgan and Blagg. Add in a basket from Dale and the Green Wave jumped out to a 14-6 lead just five minutes in.
Yet, the Wave's shooting would cool off and allow the Tigers to claw their way back into the contest. After starting the game 4-for-5 from the field, Tulane went three for their next 14. At the 9:08 mark, LSU would go on to hold Tulane scoreless for the next six minutes, as the Tigers created six straight possessions off of five offensive rebounds.
With three minutes left in the first half, Dale and Blagg rallied the Tulane offense with a layup and two free throws, respectively, as the Wave took a 21-18 lead into halftime.
Starting the second half, Dale scored four straight points to build a seven-point advantage before the Tigers battled back with an 8-0 run, capturing their first lead of the game at 12:48. Both teams would struggle to find offensive rhythm midway through, ultimately combing for 25 turnovers for the half.
Later on, down 33-31, Tulane produced its first major run of the half (9-2), sparked by five points from Blagg, recapturing the lead at 40-35 with 4:43 left. At the last media timeout, both teams were in the double bonus.
In a half that featured six lead changes and the score tied twice, LSU rallied once more to grab a 43-42 lead with 2:09 remaining. Inbounding the ball underneath LSU's basket after a Tulane timeout, Jamie Kaplan executed the play to perfection to regain a lead the squad would never surrender.
With 36 seconds left, DaShawn Harden missed a three point shot for the lead and Kaplan captured the biggest rebound of the game. The senior then dished the ball to Morgan, who was fouled and then converted her first free-throw attempt. After missing the second, Morgan quickly reacted to swat the rebound to Duru who was fouled, then successfully connected on both her shots for a 47-43 lead.
With 16 seconds left, Tulane's defense came up in a big way, forcing a backcourt violation and LSU's 21st turnover of the game. Next, Morgan once again answered the call at the free-throw line, converting her free throws.
LSU would get two more points on a quick basket with five seconds remaining before fouling Leslie Vorpahl, who made her two free throws that clinched the 51-45 victory.
"Anytime your team can win a close game on the road it's a positive and you can take a lot from it. I think the players are really happy," Stockton added. "They were able to rebound back and take control of the game. It was a big momentum switch and it was our defense that created it."
Tulane's starters combined for 43 of the team's 51 total points, including Kolby Morgan who made her first collegiate start tonight. The freshman registered her third straight game in double figures with a team best 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting. The New Orleans native also finished 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Tiffany Dale produced a team high six rebounds to go along with her eight points and one block. Fellow senior Jamie Kaplan was efficient in her 35 minutes of play, scoring eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, with six assists and a team high three steals. Finally, like Morgan, Danielle Blagg recorded her third straight game with double-digit scoring, tallying 10 points. Blagg has now scored 54 total points in her four career games vs LSU.
"I'm just so excited, it was such a team effort," Blagg explained. "All through the game we were focused on rebounding, for that was our weak point, but when it came down to the end of the game when it really mattered, Chinwe (Duru) got that one rebound and we knew we had it."
Up next, the undefeated Green Wave return home to Devlin Fieldhouse when they host N.C. State (RV) on Monday, Nov. 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT, with special promotions including a Monday Night Football Saints tickets giveaway and an opportunity for a group of four to win $20,000. For ticket and pricing info, call 504-861-WAVE (9283).
