Tulane University
7-7, 0-1America
Memphis
9-3, 1-0America
MBB: Tulane unable to close out at Memphis, 77-65
Dec 29, 2015 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Another slow second-half plagued the Tulane men's basketball team as it fell in its conference opener to the Memphis Tigers, 77-65, at FedEx Forum Tuesday afternoon. The Green Wave were up two at the half and led in the second, but were unable to close out on the Tigers. Redshirt junior Malik Morgan led Tulane with 18 points, while also adding seven rebounds. Memphis was led by Trahson Burrell's 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Memphis (9-3) controlled the tempo early, but the Green Wave (7-7) were able to stay within two possessions for much of the first half. Morgan spearheaded the offense, scoring the team's first six points of the game. Redshirt sophomore Cameron Reynolds hit back-to-back threes around the 11-minute mark to get the Green Wave back within two, but the Tigers responded with six straight points to regain the distance, putting them up 24-16 with 8:47 left in the first half.
Sophomore Dylan Osetkowski converted on a three-point play around the final media timeout, and then hit a jumper in the paint to tie the game at 32 with 3:56 remaining until halftime. Markel Crawford responded for the Tigers, but Tulane closed out the opening period on a 6-1 run to hold a 37-35 lead at the break.
Reynolds notched his season scoring high in the first half alone as he had 13 points at the half, while Morgan added 12 points.
Osetkowski showed signs of a fifth double-double this season with seven and seven at the break, and came out ready to work in the second half, scoring back-to-back buckets to open the period. The Tulane lead was quickly erased as Ricky Tarrant, Jr., scored seven-straight points to put Memphis up one. Senior Louis Dabney put the Green Wave on top one final time with a three, minutes later, but an emphatic dunk from Shaq Goodwin, on a miss by Tarrant, sparked a 9-2 run for Memphis.
Similar to the game against Mississippi State, both teams saw a lull in scoring around the midway point in the half. Junior Ryan Smith hit a pair of put-backs to keep Tulane within a possession as the clock went under nine minutes, but back-to-back threes and a pair of free throws by Goodwin helped keep Memphis up by double-figures in the closing minutes.
Tarrant finished the game with 16 points and six assists, while K.J. Lawson had 15 and Goodwin added 17 and 8 off the bench. The Tigers were without standout freshman Dedric Lawson, who missed the game with an abdomen strain.
Osetkowski was able to notch the double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the game, while Reynolds also added 15 for the Green Wave. Tulane's 10 blocked shots in the game were the highest team total since the 2010 season.
The Green Wave will open league play at home in the new year, hosting UConn on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
