Tulane women’s basketball tipped off their 2021-22 campaign, compiling a 4-1 record against talented opponents through their first five games of the season.

Tulane basketball began their season on Nov. 9 against Southeastern Louisiana University and defended their home court, winning 66-58. Dynah Jones led Tulane in scoring in the opener with 16 points, while redshirt senior Moon Ursin posted 15 in her first game as a member of the Green Wave. Ursin, along with Krystal Freeman, led Tulane in rebounds with eight each. 

The Green Wave faced the Alabama Crimson Tide in their second contest of the season on Nov. 14, winning 69-66 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Jones led Tulane in scoring again with 15. Freeman posted a double-double in the matchup, scoring 14 points and collecting 11 rebounds. The Green Wave defense stepped up, limiting Alabama to just 33.9% shooting from the field. 

Following their matchup against the Crimson Tide, Tulane women’s basketball returned to New Orleans and took down Texas Christian University 88-78 on Nov. 17. Three Tulane players posted double-doubles against the Horned Frogs. Ursin scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and later earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for her performance. Freeman scored 15 points and collected 12 rebounds, while redshirt junior Mia Heide scored 14 and had 13 rebounds. Jones also played a key role in the win, scoring 19 points. 

The Green Wave then defeated the University of South Alabama at home in an 86-53 victory on Nov. 20. Arsula Clark led Tulane in scoring with 17 points, while Marta Galic led in rebounds with 10.

The Olive and Blue traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Nov. 23 to face the LSU Tigers in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. While the Tigers stayed ahead for most of the game, Tulane led LSU by the end of the third quarter, but the Tiger defense stood strong down the stretch and handed the Green Wave their first loss of the season 75-58. Ursin was Tulane’s statistical leader with a 13 point and 10 rebound double-double. Jones led Tulane in scoring with 18 points. 

Following the matchup against the Tigers, graduate transfer Ursin received praise from her former head coach at Baylor University, Kim Mulkey. “I love that Moon Ursin, okay. I’ve said it many times. I wanted her here with me at LSU, and I couldn’t keep her, so call me a bad recruiter right,” Mulkey said. “She’s a smaller player that leaps out of the gym, got a bunch of rebounds, but I thought we held her in check for the most part. She had the double-double, but we didn’t feel like at any point that she went off and was gonna beat us.”

The hall of fame coach also praised Tulane’s women’s program. “Well I think based upon who they have beaten, based upon where they are projected to finish in their league, based upon the fact that they’ve got five kids on that floor that have a lot of experience, so yes we just beat a very good team,” Mulkey said. “We are very respectful of how good Tulane is.”

Next, the Green Wave will travel to Denver for the Pioneer Thanksgiving Classic, where the team will face the University of Wyoming on Nov. 26 and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on Nov. 27.