Women's Basketball Scores Last 8 Points to Break Tie, Defeat Maine

Friday, November 10

Orono, Maine

5 p.m.

Tulane University

1-0

Maine

0-1

Tulane

MAINE

Photo by: Parker Waters

Women's Basketball Scores Last 8 Points to Break Tie, Defeat Maine

Nov 10, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

ORONO, Maine – In a game where neither team found an offensive rhythm, two late baskets by Tulane proved to be the difference in a season-opening 42-34 victory over Maine at Memorial Gym on Friday night.

With the contest tied at 34-34 with just under three minutes left, junior Harlyn Wyatt hit a layup following an entry pass from Sierra Cheatham to give Tulane a 2-point lead. On the next possession with 216 left on the clock, Kolby Morgan hit a transition 3-pointer off an assist from Kayla Manuirirangi to give Tulane a 39-34 lead and its largest cushion of the game to that point.

Maine was unable to hit a field goal in the remaining two minutes – and in fact went the final 4:54 of the game without a point of any kind – and three Morgan free throws provided the Green Wave with their final margin of victory.

Tulane (1-0) was led by Morgan's 18 points, and the senior guard also had a team-high nine rebounds. Manuirirangi had six assists without a turnover, and Wyatt added seven rebounds. Meredith Schulte was the only other Tulane player in double-figure scoring with 10 points.

Morgan eclipsed the 500 career rebound mark on the night and is now one of just six players in Tulane history with at least 1,500 points and 500 rebounds.

Maine scored just 4 points in the fourth quarter after putting up 14 in the third. The Black Bears missed their first 13 attempts from beyond the arc before draining three 3-pointers in the third quarter. That turned things around from a 3-point Tulane lead at halftime to a 2-point edge for the home team entering the fourth quarter.

The Black Bears ended the night shooting 26.4 percent from the field including a 2-of-14 effort in the fourth quarter. Tulane shot 28.6 percent from the field but made four crucial baskets in the fourth quarter as well as five free throws. Tulane had a 10-3 edge in made free throws and only committed 11 fouls in the game.

Both teams shot poorly in the first half, with the Green Wave making just 22.2 percent of their field goal attempts and the Black Bears knocking down 28 percent. Maine was 0 of 11 from downtown in the first 20 minutes and missed four of its six free throws.

Trailing 12-10 entering the second quarter, Tulane held Maine to just 4 points in that period and took a 19-16 lead into the break. Late jumpers from Harlyn Wyatt and Meredith Schulte put the Green Wave ahead, and Maine went the final 6:30 of the half without scoring.

The Green Wave will take on either Harvard or Dayton at 1 p.m. central on Saturday, with that game also broadcast on ESPN3.