Tulane Women Return Home to Face Missouri State
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After three games away, including a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam last week, the Tulane University women’s basketball team returns home to welcome Missouri State to Uptown. Thursday's match-up marks the Green Wave’s first home tilt since November 17 against No. 5 LSU. Tip-off at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse is set for 6:30 p.m. The contest will stream on ESPN+ and can be heard on the radio on 88.3 FM or through the Varsity Network.
This is the fourth all-time meeting between the programs and just the second in New Orleans. Tulane is 1-2 against Missouri State with the last meeting coming in Springfield, Missouri, on December 1, 2023. The Bears won that contest 70-60. Tulane’s lone win in the series came on December 5, 2001, by a margin of 49-46, also in Springfield. The Bears are coming to New Orleans for just the second time in series history and for the first time since the first meeting between the program, December 4, 2000.
Solid Bears Program
The Bears are 6-2 on the season and led by head coach Beth Cunningham in her fourth season at the helm. Missouri State played a pair of games last week in the Coconut Hoops in Fort Myers, Florida, splitting the contests. After an 85-75 loss to Florida State, the Bears bested Coppin State 77-56. Missouri State averages 68.8 points per game with a 39.7 field goal clip and 33.0 percent mark beyond the arc. The Bears secure 40.1 rebounds per game. Kaemyn Bekemeier leads the team with 15.8 points per game and 8.5 boards per game. Maycee James dished 3.0 assists per game to top the squad.
Tulane is 3-4 and fresh off two contests in the Paradise Jam. The Green Wave split its match-ups in the U.S. Virgin Islands, beating Elon 64-61 before falling to Boise State 81-76. Tulane was the runner-up of the Harbor Division. The Wave scores 71.9 points per game with a 40.6 percent shooting clip and 26.9 percent mark from three. The team averages 41.7 rebounds per game with 9.0 steals per contest. Kanija Daniel leads the team with 14.0 points per game, ranking sixth in the American. She is one of three players on the team averaging in double figures, joined by Amira Mabry (10.6) and Mecailin Marshall (10.4). Dyllan Hanna leads on the glass with 7.1 rebounds per game, and Kendall Sneed dishes 4.1 helpers per game.
Frosh Marshall Having Great Start
Freshman Mecailin Marshall is continuing to breakout, as she is fresh off securing her second consecutive American Freshman of the Week nod. She was also tabbed to the all-tournament team for the Paradise Jam’s Harbor Division. In her last four games, Marshall averages 17.8 points per game to lead the team during that stretch. Her performances are highlighted by 20 points against No. 5 LSU and a career-best 21 points last time out against the Broncos. She put home six three-pointers against Boise State.
Tulane will get a reprieve for exams after Thursday's contest, not hitting the court again until 10 days later. The Wave will face off against crosstown foe, the University of New Orleans, on Sunday, December 14. Tip-off in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Tulane then hits the road for a contest at Alabama on December 17.
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.