Tulane Falls on the Road at South Florida

Saturday, January 14

Tampa, FL

6:00 P.M.

Tulane University

11-7,1-4AAC

University of South Florida

16-4,5-0AAC

Tulane

South Fla.

Jan 14, 2023 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – Tulane University Women's Basketball (11-7, 1-4) was unable to hold onto its halftime lead as it lost 53-66 on the road against South Florida (16-4, 5-0) on Saturday. The Green Wave held a narrow advantage at the break, but a strong shooting performance in the second half by the Bulls proved too much for the Wave to stay in front.

Marta Galic and Dynah Jones led the Green Wave in scoring with 13 points apiece. Jones also led Tulane on the glass with seven boards and dished out a team-high four assists.

South Florida was paced by Sammie Puisis with a game-high 28 points with six made three-pointers. Three other players finished in double figures for the Bulls including Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu who posted a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

The first strike came from the Bulls in the opening quarter as Tulane trailed 5-12 four minutes into the game, but the Green Wave responded with a punch of its own. After chipping away at the deficit to pull within two points, an and-one converted by Rachel Hakes and a layup from Kahia Warmsley helped the Wave score the final five points of the frame and take a 19-18 lead heading into the second quarter.

Tulane kept the momentum rolling early in the second extending its lead to as many as nine points with 6:39 on the clock. South Florida battled back, but the Green Wave maintained its advantage to hit the locker room leading 31-29.

The tide shifted against Wave to open the second half as the Bulls opened the third with a 12-2 run including 10 unanswered. Kierra Middleton stepped up off the bench with a pair of makes from beyond the arc to help Tulane pull back within one, but an 8-2 scoring run by South Florida over the final three minutes of the frame put the Green Wave down 45-52 to begin the fourth quarter.

South Florida got back-to-back threes from Puisis early in the final frame to take control of the contest. The Green Wave was unable to climb back into the game down the stretch ultimately falling 53-66.

Up next, the Green Wave will stay in the Sunshine State as it visits Orlando, Florida, to battle UCF on Tuesday. Tipoff between Tulane and the Knights is set for 5 p.m. CT.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2022-23 season can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, get your season tickets to see the Wave play for just $50.

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For behind-the-scenes coverage, follow Tulane women's basketball (@GreenWaveWBB) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out at NolaBuilt.com.