Tulane Women Fall Short against ACC Leader Rice, 70-60
In this story:
Down by just three at halftime, the Tulane women’s basketball team fell victim to a tough third quarter and could not quite close the gap again in the fourth en route to a 70-60 defeat at Rice Saturday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Green Wave moves to 8-11 (3-4 American) as the American-leading Owls improve to 17-3 (7-0 American).
Rice shot better in the contest, posting a clip of 43.5 percent comparatively to Tulane’s 36.7 percent mark. The Owls collected two more threes, 6-4. Tulane won the glass 42-32 with a 13-6 offensive rebounding lead. The Owls had 10 more assists, 17-7, and doubled up the blocks column, 6-3. The turnover battle proved pivotal as Tulane committed six more, 17-11, leading to a 22-4 points off turnovers advantage for Rice.
Greenie Leaders
A trio scored in double-digits for Tulane, led by Kanija Daniel and her 17 points. She added three boards, a steal, and a block to mark seven games in a row with a rejection. Kendall Sneed contributed 12 points with a team-high six rebounds while adding two assists and two steals. Amira Mabry rounds out the double-figure scorers with 11 points alongside five rebounds. All three of the double-digit scorers notched one block. Five players collected at least five rebounds each. Behind Sneed, a quintet each notched five: Mabry, Mecailin Marshall, Dyllan Hanna, and Shiloh Kimpson with Kimpson’s total a new career high for the freshman. Kimpson dished three assists to lead the team.
1st Quarter Even-Stephen
The Wave got on the board first thanks to a layup by Kendall Sneed after Tulane claimed the opening tip. Rice immediately responded, but Sneed secured a three-point play to own Tulane’s first five points. Setting a tone for the opening quarter, Rice hit a three quickly thereafter as the squads began to trade buckets. When the Owls pulled ahead by three, Amira Mabry connected from deep to tie the contest. Back-to-back threes for the Owls later pushed them in front 20-14, but Mabry hit her second triple of the frame to help Tulane keep pace. The Wave chipped away before Rice pulled in front 24-21 with 27 seconds to go. However, Kanija Daniel buried a trey in the closing seconds of the opening quarter to level the score at 24-all.
Green Wave Stays Close in Quarter Two
Rice opened the second quarter with free throws before Jordyn Weaver tied the game back up. After another Owl bucket, Weaver secured an and-one for a Tulane lead, and after trading the lead back-and-forth, Shiloh Kimpson and Daniel scored back-to-back baskets for a 33-30 Tulane lead. Rice pushed back with a six-point run, and Daniel again put home a shot to bring Tulane within a score. A layup in the final seconds of the half pushed Rice’s lead to 38-35.
Tulane scored first out of the break with a Daniel free throw, but Rice immediately responded with a jumper. Mabry notched a three-point play after scoring through a foul, but the Owls had a bucket in response. This sparked a 12-point run for Rice as it pulled in front 52-39. Jayda Brown ended the run with a layup, and after a Daniel score Rice put home another three-pointer. Back-to-back scores for the Wave to close the quarter pulled the margin to 55-47 entering the final frame.
Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short
The last quarter began with back-to-back Rice layups, and the Owl defense clamped down to hold Tulane scoreless until a CC Mays free throw at the 6:49 mark. After Rice hit a three, Sneed put home a foul shot and then swiped the ball right back, surviving contact for a three-point play. The teams traded scores as time began to run thin, but Tulane kept pushing. Daniel put home a three with 1:37 to go to bring the margin to 10 points, 68-58. However, it was too late for Tulane to complete a comeback as Rice held on for a 70-60 victory to remain unblemished in conference play.
The Green Wave remains on the road with a trip to play Memphis on Tuesday, January 27. Tip-off against the Tigers is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with the contest streaming on ESPN+.
Portions 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.