After a frustrating loss to the University of New Orleans last month, Tulane University men’s basketball has been scratching and clawing to build some early-season momentum. A strong finish in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic, plus two hard-fought home wins, have the Green Wave heading in the right direction before conference play begins. Although, consistent close games against easy opponents have raised questions about the squad’s actual ceiling.
Tulane opened the Charleston Classic with a difficult matchup against Utah State University, falling 96-75. Despite a strong first half that ended tied, the Green Wave came out slow in the second and was forced to play from behind when the Aggies went on a 21-5 run. While Tulane was able to cut the deficit to single digits, the early hole was too much to overcome.
The team followed that performance with one of its most thrilling games of the season, a 93-90 overtime win over Boston College. Coming in as the underdog didn’t faze the Tulane stars one bit. In fact, it brought out the best in them. Curtis Williams Jr. and Rowan Brumbaugh handled the offensive load, combining for 59 points with Williams Jr. dropping 32.
A performance worthy of honors, as Williams Jr. earned American Conference Player of the Week after averaging 21.5 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 53.8% from the field. His efficiency and pace helped stabilize the offense after the UNO loss, giving Tulane another dependable threat that can work with Brumbaugh.
The gritty win against Boston College translated when the Green Wave returned home. Coming in as the big favorite against Nicholls State University, Tulane secured the win 82-72. However, the scoreboard does not reflect how close the game really was. While Tulane led by 10 at the half, the Green Wave once again came out slow in the second half, a real theme of the team. At one point, Nicholls led 59-53, and it seemed all of that work in the first half was for nothing.
Then came a classic fiery spark from Tulane head coach Ron Hunter, whose timeout ignited a 17-0 lead that Tulane never looked back from, inevitably sealing the game.
The next game was more of the same. This time, it was the weaker Grambling State University that battled Tulane down to the wire. For some reason, the Tulane offense struggled to get going, leading to a defensive battle decided by only 2 points, with Tulane winning 65-63. A back-and-forth game that ended when Brumbaugh sank two free throws with eight seconds left.
The win brought Green Wave’s record to 6-2 and 4-1 at home.
Tulane will continue its nonconference schedule in the coming weeks, with its next opportunity coming against the University of Akron on Dec. 6 in the Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse.