Tulane University
7-9, 0-3
Houston
13-2, 3-0
MBB: Tulane stumbles at Houston, 63-45
Jan 5, 2016 | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON, Texas – The Tulane men's basketball team was unable to bounce back from a low-scoring first half, falling to the Houston Cougars in Hofheinz Pavilion, 63-45. Redshirt junior Malik Morgan was the lone Green Wave player in double figures as he led the way with 11 points. Rob Gray, Jr., paced Houston with 13 points, while LeRon Barnes grabbed 14 rebounds.
The Green Wave (7-9, 0-3 American) kept things close in the opening minutes as Morgan responded to the first bucket of the game with a three and senior Louis Dabney made a pair of free throws to keep Tulane within one at the first media timeout. Houston (13-2, 3-0 American) scored three straight field goals out of the break in action to extend its lead, but Dabney, who finished with eight points, kept the Green Wave in it on two separate occasions.
With Tulane trailing by 13 at the final media timeout of the first half and just one second remaining on the shot clock, freshman Taron Oliver checked into the game and immediately nailed a three to get the Green Wave back within 10. Oliver hit another long jumper the next time down the court, but Houston's 12 points in the final 2:49 of the first half gave the Cougars a 20-point lead at the break, 37-17.
The Green Wave got out-rebounded 22-10 in the opening period. Houston was able to score 11 points off of Tulane's nine first-half turnovers, as the Green Wave struggled to break Houston's press early on and anything going on the offensive end.
It was much of the same in the second half as Houston kept its lead around the 20-point mark for much of the half. The Cougars took their largest lead of the night at when they were up 25 with under 12 to play. Tulane was never able to get anything going, getting the deficit down to 16 points but would never get any closer than that.
The Green Wave shot just 32.7-percent from the field in the game and we uncharacteristically out-rebounded 50-32.
Tulane returns home to host Tulsa in a doubleheader with the women's team on Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
