Wave Wrangles Wyoming

Friday, November 26

Denver, Co.

2:00 P.M.

Tulane University

5-1,0-0AAC

University of Wyoming

2-3,0-0Mountain West

Wyoming

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

Nov 26, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

DENVER, Colo. – The duo of Krystal Freeman and Mia Heide delivered the Tulane University women's basketball team a 73-67 victory over Wyoming in the Pioneer Thanksgiving Classic on Friday.

After posting just two points in the first half, Heide found her rhythm in the second half scoring 16 points in the final 20 minutes. The redshirt junior finished with a career-high 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

Freeman got the offense going early for the Green Wave with 12 of her 19 points coming in the first quarter. The Pineville, Louisiana, native put in work on the glass as well finishing with 10 rebounds to post her 25^th career double-double and her third this season.

The next top scorers for the Green Wave were Dynah Jones with 11 points and Sierra Cheatham. Moon Ursin made her presence felt without having to score as she finished with 10 rebounds, seven assists and four points.

As a team, Tulane shot 52.6 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. Freeman and Cheatham led the Green Wave from the outside combining for all seven makes for the Green Wave in the contest.

The deep ball was falling early for the Green Wave as it hit five triples in the opening quarter with Freeman leading the way knocking down 4-of-4 in the quarter. Tulane and Wyoming went back and forth with five ties during the first quarter, but Tulane outscored the Cowgirls 10-5 in the final three minutes and change to take a 21-16 advantage into the next frame.

In the second quarter, Tulane and the Cowgirls exchanged the lead seven times after Wyoming began to find the ranges from beyond the arc. The Wave shot 50 percent from the field in the quarter, but five triples from Wyoming had the Cowgirls in front late in the quarter. Tulane executed a nice play off an inbound from the quarter in the final seconds of the half as Heide found a cutting Ursin for a layup to send the Green Wave to the locker room trailing 38-37.

Heide turned it on in the third quarter for the Green Wave. The Austin, Texas, native scored 10 points and pulled down five boards in the frame as Tulane began to claim control of the contest. The Wave outscored Wyoming 17-10 in the quarter to head into the final 10 minutes with a 54-48 lead. Redshirt senior Kaila Anderson tallied her 300^th career assist when she found Heide for the final bucket of the quarter.

Tulane extended its lead and maintained its distance for the majority of the fourth quarter. Heide and Jones paced the Wave in the quarter with six and four points, respectively. The Cowgirls, however, did not go down quietly as they battle to make it a five-point contest in the final minute. The Green Wave knocked down enough free throws in the final moments to put the game on ice and win 73-67.

Up next, the Green Wave will face Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in its second and final game at the Pioneer Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday. Tipoff between Tulane and the Islanders is set for 2 p.m. CT.