Tulane University
4-1
Western Kentucky
4-2
Tulane Falls to Western Kentucky 69-64
Nov 28, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Printable Box | Morgan Interview
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - It was a back and forth clash between two teams that have received votes in the latest Coaches Poll, but it was Western Kentucky (4-2) who dealt Tulane (4-1) its first loss of the season, besting the Green Wave 69-64 in day one action of the Hofstra Thanksgiving Tournament. Kolby Morgan finished with a career high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and a 5-of-9 mark from beyond the arc.
"We had some really good points at times, especially in the first half, where I thought we came out very strong," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "We just had a difficult time scoring and our defense had some miscues that really cost us. It came down to the wire and there were a lot of things we could have done differently, especially on the offensive end."
The first half could be symbolized as a rollercoaster ride for the Green Wave, featuring many ups and downs. First, Kolby Morgan ignited the offense to start the game, scoring 11 of the squad's first 14 points, to jump out to a 14-3 lead (their largest of the game) over the Hilltoppers.
With the score at 18-9 Tulane with 13:13 left in the half, the Wave went on a cold shooting draught, missing their next eight shots, as Western Kentucky crept back within five points. Yet Caylah Cruickshank added a spark via a three-pointer at 8:48 to push the lead to 21-13.
Out of the 8-minute media timeout, Kolby Morgan hit her fourth three (4-of-5 from three in the first half) as Blagg followed suit two minutes later with a basket to build the lead to nine at 26-17.
Tulane then added four more points at the free-throw line, courtesy of Jones and Kaplan, to get the score to 30-20 with 1:55 left. However, the Hilltoppers rallied with a 7-0 run to end the stanza as the Wave went into half with just a 30-27 lead.
Western Kentucky then carried that momentum into the second half, earning their first lead of the game at the 15:59 mark, thanks to a three-pointer from Micah Jones. The next eight and a half minutes then featured five lead changes and three ties, with Western Kentucky ending the see-saw battle with a 14-3 run to grab a 54-46 lead with 7:32 remaining.
A few minutes later, Western Kentucky earned its largest lead of the game after a Chastity Gooch layup moved the score to 61-51 in favor of the Hilltoppers. With 4:31 remaining, the Wave fought on, cranking out a 6-0 run, which was capped by a Kolby Morgan steal and fast-break layup.
Later on, down seven with just under a minute left, Jamie Kaplan's defensive pressure resulted in another Green Wave steal and fast-break layup. Then seconds later, Morgan would grab yet another steal which resulted in a Tierra Jones layup, as Tulane pulled within three, at 64-61.
Unfortunately for Tulane, Western Kentucky's Micah Jones, an .841 career shooter from the free-throw line, iced the game for the Hilltoppers, with four straight points from the charity stripe.
A notable difference for the Green Wave today was their free-throw shooting, as Tulane recorded a season low 50 percent (9-of-18) from the line. Another factor was turnovers, with the Wave tallying 12 of its 16 total turnovers in the second half.
In addition, Tulane finished with a .365 field goal percentage compared to WKU's 45.8 percent. It marked the first time this year that an opponent shot above 34 percent against the Wave.
Morgan became the first Green Wave player to score 20+ points this season and the first to record 25 since Danielle Blagg on Dec. 20, 2013, vs. Virginia. The freshman also reeled in her second straight game with 8 rebounds, thus matching her season high.
Lastly, Jamie Kaplan finished with 11 points, marking her second straight contest in double figures. The senior shot 3-of-8 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, and produced a season high seven assists.
"We have to go out and play aggressive for 40 minutes," Stockton added. "We have to understand the rhythm of the game and when someone steps up and grabs momentum, we have to take it back."
Tulane will get that opportunity to quickly bounce back as they return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT. They'll face Northern Iowa who fell 61-58 to Hofstra in overtime in the second game on Friday.
