Tulane University
18-15
University of Alabama
22-13
Women’s Basketball’s Season Ends with WNIT Third Round Loss at Alabama
Mar 23, 2017 | Women's Basketball
Green Wave fall 72-64 to the Crimson Tide
PRINTABLE BOX | PHOTO GALLERY
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second straight year, the Tulane women's basketball team's (18-15) season ended in the third round of the WNIT, falling 72-64 to Alabama (22-13) on Thursday night inside Coleman Coliseum. Kolby Morgan led the Green Wave with 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including a 4-for-7 effort from three.
"It's certainly disappointing for us. I thought our first quarter did us in," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton stated. "I give Alabama a lot of credit. They hit shots and were really on fire in that first quarter, and we just weren't good on both ends of the floor. After that we fought very aggressively and at the end of the game we had to gamble a little bit. I thought the second half we really battled."
Alabama got off to a hot shooting start, jumping out to a 13-3 lead. Tulane fought back with a 6-0 run but Hannah Cook of the Crimson Tide tallied 10 first quarter points, leading the home team to a 23-13 lead as Alabama knocked down 9-of-16 (.563) in the period.
The Green Wave defense slowed Alabama's pace in the second, holding them to without a field goal in the last 4:25 of the quarter, but the Crimson Tide maintained its distance from the free-throw line. Ultimately, Schulte and Vorpahl combined for the last nine points of the period, cutting Alabama's lead to single digits at the half, down 33-24.
A Ksenija Madzarevic lay-up one-minute into the third cut it to 33-27, but Alabama's Quanetria Bolton knocked down back-to-back three's to extend the lead to 12 points. Then from 6:12 to 4:51, Morgan connected on three consecutive three's, yet Alabama's offense kept pace, boasting a 48-38 lead. Tulane then hit a short scoring drought that was ended by Vorpahl with seconds on the clock as the Wave went into the fourth down 52-40.
Alabama started the fourth on a 5-0 run, building its largest lead of the game, up 57-40. Next, Tulane continued to fight, later recording an 11-2 run to cut it to 61-55 with 3:45 remaining. Yet, Alabama preserved its lead from the free-throw line, scoring seven of its last 11 points from the charity stripe where they finished 18-of-30.
Vorpahl finished with 10 points and four assists tonight, bringing her final season assist total to 201, which ranks third all-time in program history. Meanwhile, Morgan finished with 632 points on the year, which ranked third all-time as well.
