Tulane University’s women’s basketball is now in the second half of its non-conference schedule. Through seven games, the team has three wins. It is important to note that two of the losses came against Southeastern Conference opponents: the University of Missouri Tigers and Louisiana State University Tigers. Across many sports, several SEC teams are ranked in the top 25, so being able to play competitively against SEC teams is a positive indicator for teams in less prominent conferences.
Tulane put up a fantastic effort against Missouri, only trailing by 2 points at halftime. CC Mays led the Green Wave with 17 points, and Amira Mabry dropped a double-double with points and rebounds. Tulane still lost by 8 points when Missouri extended its lead to 11 points in the third quarter, which became too much for Tulane to overcome.
The LSU Tigers, ranked No. 5, posed a greater challenge for the Green Wave, winning 101-71. Tulane overcame its slow start against a dominant team, only being outscored by one and two points in the second and third quarters, respectively. However, in the end, LSU star player Flau’jae Johnson’s 22 points shut the door on Tulane.
The women’s basketball team’s strongest performance came against University of North Florida, winning 77-54. Even in this dominant win, the Green Wave demonstrated their ability to improve as the game progressed, trailing by four points at the end of the first quarter but then outscoring North Florida 61-34 the rest of the game. Speaking about the performance, Green Wave head coach Ashley Langford said she was “happy with today’s performance and the outcome, especially on education day … It’s special for me to have young girls and boys in the stands. I told the team it’s bigger than basketball today.”
From a statistical standpoint, the Green Wave has some notable strengths. Tulane averages 41.7 rebounds per game, while opponents average 38.3. Tulane also averages one more assist per game than its opponents. On the other hand, an area for improvement for the Green Wave is three-point shooting, which is currently 27%.
The Green Wave is playing reasonably well, winning easier games and playing competitively as the underdog. Ultimately, this phase of the season is a good time to build chemistry and prepare for conference play. When games against American Conference teams begin, wins and losses have a greater impact on the season’s trajectory.
Tulane’s women’s basketball next competition will be hosted at the Avron B. Fogelman Arena on Dec. 4 against Missouri State University at 6:30 p.m. CST.