Tulane Women Drop Road Contest to North Dakota State, 83-72
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The Tulane University women’s basketball team gave a late comeback push Friday night against North Dakota State (NDSU) in the Scheels Center, but the Bison held firm late for an 83-72 win. The Green Wave moves to 2-3 on the season as the Bison improve to 3-2.
The Wave shot at a 53.6 percent clip on the night as NDSU hit at a 48.3 percent rate. Tulane put home seven threes compared to the four of the Bison, but the free throw line proved pivotal. NDSU was 77.8 percent at the stripe while Tulane went just 38.5 percent. Turnovers were also crucial as Tulane committed 17 giveaways for 25 extra NDSU points, 10 more than Tulane’s mark (15). The Bison won the glass 36-28 with an 11-6 offensive rebounding advantage. The paint aided NDSU as the Bison recorded 50 points inside. Tulane won the blocking battle with three rejections and none allowed.
Kanija Daniel paced the Wave with 25 points for a new personal high at Tulane. It is also the most by a Wave player this season and marks the third-straight game a Tulane player has netted 20 or more. Daniel was 9-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-7 beyond the arc with two boards, a block, and a steal. Mecailin Marshall joined her in double figures with 13 points on a 6-of-9 shooting clip. Tamiah Robinson led the team in rebounding and assists with seven and five, respectively.
NDSU scored the first four points of the contest and led 12-6 before a Jayda Brown jumper cut into the deficit. Sadie Shores secured an and-one to bring Tulane within two points, and Mecailin Marshall tied it up with just under a minute left in the opening quarter. Nearing the end of the frame, Brown buried a three with 11 seconds on the clock, but Bison free throws with mere seconds left trimmed the lead to 16-15 after 10 minutes.
The second quarter opened with a Dyllan Hanna bucket. After trading scores, NDSU put in back-to-back threes for a 23-19 lead. A Marshall trey later would bring the Wave back within a point, but the Bison scored shortly thereafter. Kanija Daniel popped a three, but NDSU responded with a six-point run to close the half. The Bison led 37-27 at the break.
The overall NDSU run stretched to 10 points as the Bison claimed the first four points of the second half. Daniel broke the run with a jumper, and she remained hot by knocking down another three soon thereafter. The teams would go blow-for-blow in the third frame with NDSU staying just one step ahead, 23-19, in the quarter. Amira Mabry gathered some momentum for Tulane to enter the fourth as her three closed the third and cut the margin to 60-46.
After trading baskets to begin the fourth, Mabry scored to spark a Tulane push. Daniel then took charge by hitting a three, and she followed with two more layups to bring the Wave within 64-57. NDSU secured three points to keep Tulane at bay. As the Wave continued to fight back, NDSU parried and responded to just about every score. Tulane could not quite close the gap as time ran out, and the Bison held on for the 83-72 win.
Tulane remains on the road next week with a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam. The Wave will play a pair of games in St. Thomas, beginning with a tilt against Elon on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. CT against the Phoenix.
Courtesy Tulane Athletics
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.