Green Wave Stumbles Out of the Gate, but Gains Footing in 95-66 Exhibition Win over Centenary

Tulane was able to turn on the engines in after a slow start to gain an exhibition victory on Tuesday night.

Tulane guard Rowan Brumbaugh looks to pass in an exhibition game against Centenary | Doug Joubert

Final: Tulane 95 - Centenary 66

First Half

In a game that doesn't count on the record, the Tulane men's basketball team started slowly against a quick, agile Centenary Gentlemen's team. The Gents moved the ball smartly around the Green Wave's early zone defense, spotting up for threes and nailing them throughout the 1st half. Centenary hit seven of their 19-shots from beyond the arc in the first 20-minutes of play, almost 37%. That and a board-crashing style of play by the Gents led them to a 19-18 rebounding advantage over the larger, more physical Green Wave.

Tulane seemed slow on their feet early on, trying to find a rhythm on offense. The Wave tried from tre territory, but only hit four of their 12 attempts. From the field, the Green Wave hit only 39% of their 31 shots. Not much was going on inside for TU, as big man Percy Daniels was only able to tally 4-points in the first 20-minutes.

At the half, Tulane's Rowan Brumbaugh lead the Wave with 8-points and outright hustle, diving for loose balls and slapping basketballs from the hands of any Gent he might be guarding. Wave senior Asher Woods had 6-points and three rebounds from his guard position.

Halftime: Centenary 40 - Tulane 39

Second Half

Things changed rapidly in the 2nd half. Coach Ron Hunter had his Green Wave start using their size and a loosely officiated game to take advantage of their physicality. Tulane went on a 10-0 run to start the last 20-minutes of play. First year Centenary coach J.A. Anglin saw the writing on the wall and called a full time out just two minutes into the half, hoping to slow down the TU attack. As the Wave continued their onslaught, the Gents could not keep up with the stronger, taller Greenies and started to tire. The Wave started controlling the boards, being more physical on the inside, and dominating the paint.

Daniels, who managed only four points in the first half, more than doubled that, garnering 10 by game's end, but more importantly, helping lead the wave to a domination of the boards in the 2nd stanza. After being outrebounded in half number one, Daniels and company crashed their way to a 39-28 advantage by the end.

But the icing on this comeback cake was Asher Woods. After a quiet first half, the senior guard ended up hitting three-of-three beyond the arc, 5-of-10 from the field overall, dishing out five assists and leading the Wave in rebounds with 8, five of which were on the defensive side. Woods piled up 19-points to lead five Greenies who hit the double-digit mark in scoring: Rowan Brumbaugh with 17, K.J. Greene with 16, Josiah Moore with 11, and the aforementioned Daniels' 10.

Final: Tulane 95 - Centenary 66

Tulane opens their season officially on Monday evening as the second part of a double-header with the Tulane women's basketball team in Fogelman. The ladies kick things off Monday afternoon at 4 with their season-opener against Campbell. The men follow at 7:30 with their first game of the year against Samford.