A chance at redemption can be intimidating, especially when the other team is ranked sixth in the nation. With a 2-0 game streak, women’s basketball will be put to the test when the team travels to Tallahassee, Florida to face the Florida State Seminoles. 

Last season, the Wave fell to the Seminoles 65-54 in their single meet up of the year. The Wave, fortunately, has worked hard during every game this season leading up to this difficult test of their abilities.

In the game against Arkansas-Little Rock, the team picked up a few pointers that will benefit it in the coming games. One of the biggest lessons the team learned is that it needs to work on their rebounding. 

“We got beat pretty badly on [rebounds] for our offense,” junior guard Leslie Vorpahl said. “It’s really just the mindset to have and to know that we need to go get the ball right when it goes up … so we’ve just been emphasizing that at practice.”

Due to the team’s versatility and ability, the coaching staff has put every available person into the games to give them more experience and work on the objectives given by the coaches. 

“All of them have something to bring, it is just a matter of getting that game experience,” head coach Lisa Stockton said. “[The experience will] get our younger players more confident and we can rely on them pretty consistently.”

With a focus on their rebounding skills prior to the Jackson State game, the ladies jumped more for those missed shots against Jackson State and out-rebounded Jackson State 56-46 to contribute to the Wave’s 92-49 win.

Specifically, Vorphal had eight rebounds, while freshman forward Harlyn Wyatt posted 11 rebounds. Wyatt’s double-digit rebounding game was the first of the season for Tulane.

These changes in their performances exemplify the true abilities this team possesses. They work hard to produce results and achieve success.

“[We] just keep working hard in practice everyday and, hopefully, it will get us to where we want to be,” sophomore guard Kolby Morgan said. 

This rebounding is vital for Tulane as it plans to go fight for the win against Florida State.

“We know that Florida State is a tremendous rebounding team,” Stockton said. “They killed us on the boards last year … so [rebounding] had to be a focus.”

As Tulane embarks on the arduous road ahead, it can take comfort in the fact that the team has the skills necessary to put its best foot forward and play competitive basketball.

“I don’t know if anything really prepares you for playing two games then turning around and playing the number six team in the country but I think this group is getting confident,” Stockton said.

The Green Wave will play the Seminoles at 6 p.m. Thursday in Tallahassee.