The Herd come out with the victory tonight 7-4. Pitcher Steve Blevins threw 151 total pitches and got the complete game victory. The Wave fall to 21-9 on the year with the rubber game coming up tomorrow at 1 pm.
After six innings, the Herd still lead by 2, at 6-4. Loup was replaced after 4 1/3 innings and gave up 5 runs (2 earned). Marshall scored three runs in the top of the fifth to make 5-1 but the Wave responded with 1 in the bottom of the inning and two in the bottom of the sixth on a home run by Sam Honeck.
Through the first three innings, Marshall has a 2-0 lead over the Wave. Marshall scored their runs on a single and then a throwing error by Rob Segedin in the top of the third. The Wave have mustered just one hit so far, but have drawn two walks. Aaron Loup has given up just three hits, but has struggled with his control and has walked three batters. It could be a quick outing for Loup as he has thrown 70 pitches already.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Baseball Falls to SELA, 12-11
Well I was way off about this being a low-scoring game. The Green Wave scored three runs in the ninth inning, but the game-tying run was gunned down at the plate and Tulane fell 12-11. Starter Jonathan Garret only lasted three innings, giving up two runs on five hits. But reliever Trey Martin and Preston Claiborne struggled mightily, giving up a combined 10 runs in four innings.
Tulane is now 1-4 away from Turchin-Greer, a disturbing fact to consider as conference play approaches. Still, a lot of the young players will continue to improve over the next few months.
Tulane is now 1-4 away from Turchin-Greer, a disturbing fact to consider as conference play approaches. Still, a lot of the young players will continue to improve over the next few months.
Baseball taking on SELA tonight
Well, the staff along with the rest of the student body is back from Spring Break. After a great weekend against lowly Oakland, the Green Wave will take on Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond. The Lions have struggled behind the plate this season, so expect Tulane starter Jonathan Garret, who is sporting a 2.31 ERA in four starts, to have a good night. Lefty Adam Jones (1-0, 3.38) will start for the Lions. You can keep track of the game using CSTV's gametracker and then check back with us for a recap and quotes.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tulane 4, Northwestern State 3
The Green Wave topped Northwestern State 4-3 in 11 innings Tuesday night thanks to a two-out, game-winning single by Warren McFadden. The hit was poetic justice for the junior, who has struggled mightily so far this season with runners on base.
While it may not seem like it from the final result, the Green Wave offense took a more aggressive approach and hit the ball well. While in the short term it resulted in a low pitch-count for Northwestern State starter Kyle Broughton (89 pitches in almost 8 innings), it should payoff in the long run for guys who have been tentative at the plate so far this season.
While it may not seem like it from the final result, the Green Wave offense took a more aggressive approach and hit the ball well. While in the short term it resulted in a low pitch-count for Northwestern State starter Kyle Broughton (89 pitches in almost 8 innings), it should payoff in the long run for guys who have been tentative at the plate so far this season.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Post Game Quotes vs. East Carolina
Senior forward David Gomez
On getting a win in his final home game
"I can't stop smiling. We've been in this situation before and the efforts have been real close. It's only fitting that we go out on top in a close game like this."
"Give East Carolina a lot of credit. They were draining threes all game but we hung in there, grabbed some big rebounds, and scored when we had to at the end."
On looking ahead to the conference tournament
"This definitely gives us great motivation. I'm really excited about going to Memphis and see what we're going to do."
Senior forward Donnie Stith
On finally getting a win in a close game
"We've lost three close games this season and we made the plays we had to at the end and pulled it out."
On playing his final home game
"My mom, dad, uncle, and aunt were here and it was great to play in front of them because they haven't seen me play in a while. It was great for all three seniors to go out with a bang."
On looking ahead to the conference tournament
"Our confidence never really wavered but it does feel good to get a win going into the conference tournament."
On making the two free throws to give the Wave a 2 point lead with 4 seconds left
"I just told myself that we got to win this game. I stepped up, took my time, and knocked them down."
Head coach Dave Dickerson
On breaking the slide
"Im just proud of our team and especially our seniors for having the fortitude, toughness, and character to stick with it. I've seen a lot of teams that would have quit."
"Hats off to our seniors. We're not where we are as a program without those three guys."
On the team's response to East Carolina's hot shooting
"They (ECU) made 12 threes and Jenkins was playing lights out. But our guys were determined not to lose this game. Dave (Gomez) came to the bench one time and said we're not going to lose this game."
On the play of the frontcourt
"The strength of our team are those guys up front. They continued to play like they have all season. Dave and Donnie delivered tonight but Kevin (Sims) and Eric (Vianney) played incredibly well."
On back to back winning seasons
"What I'm trying to do here at Tulane is raise the bar for the entire program. We have a chance to be good if we do certain things the right way."
"We have to start some way. First back to back winning seasons in a decade. I'm disappointed that we lost 8 games in a row but this is the best I've felt in a long, long time."
On looking ahead to the conference tournament
"This win should give us great confidence going into the tournament. We've had classic games against both UTEP and Tulsa and there are some things we can draw on from both of those games. March Madness is an entirely different beast and we have to re-invent ourselves in order to be ready to play either of those teams"
On getting a win in his final home game
"I can't stop smiling. We've been in this situation before and the efforts have been real close. It's only fitting that we go out on top in a close game like this."
"Give East Carolina a lot of credit. They were draining threes all game but we hung in there, grabbed some big rebounds, and scored when we had to at the end."
On looking ahead to the conference tournament
"This definitely gives us great motivation. I'm really excited about going to Memphis and see what we're going to do."
Senior forward Donnie Stith
On finally getting a win in a close game
"We've lost three close games this season and we made the plays we had to at the end and pulled it out."
On playing his final home game
"My mom, dad, uncle, and aunt were here and it was great to play in front of them because they haven't seen me play in a while. It was great for all three seniors to go out with a bang."
On looking ahead to the conference tournament
"Our confidence never really wavered but it does feel good to get a win going into the conference tournament."
On making the two free throws to give the Wave a 2 point lead with 4 seconds left
"I just told myself that we got to win this game. I stepped up, took my time, and knocked them down."
Head coach Dave Dickerson
On breaking the slide
"Im just proud of our team and especially our seniors for having the fortitude, toughness, and character to stick with it. I've seen a lot of teams that would have quit."
"Hats off to our seniors. We're not where we are as a program without those three guys."
On the team's response to East Carolina's hot shooting
"They (ECU) made 12 threes and Jenkins was playing lights out. But our guys were determined not to lose this game. Dave (Gomez) came to the bench one time and said we're not going to lose this game."
On the play of the frontcourt
"The strength of our team are those guys up front. They continued to play like they have all season. Dave and Donnie delivered tonight but Kevin (Sims) and Eric (Vianney) played incredibly well."
On back to back winning seasons
"What I'm trying to do here at Tulane is raise the bar for the entire program. We have a chance to be good if we do certain things the right way."
"We have to start some way. First back to back winning seasons in a decade. I'm disappointed that we lost 8 games in a row but this is the best I've felt in a long, long time."
On looking ahead to the conference tournament
"This win should give us great confidence going into the tournament. We've had classic games against both UTEP and Tulsa and there are some things we can draw on from both of those games. March Madness is an entirely different beast and we have to re-invent ourselves in order to be ready to play either of those teams"
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Men's Basketball vs. East Carolina 2nd Half
0.0 Hinnant's long range three pointer is on-line but hits the back iron and rims out. The Wave finally finally snap their slide.
4.0 Stith powers his way in and is fouled by Fields. Stith will have two free throws. The first rolls in. Quick timeout called by ECU. The second is good off of the back iron.
34.4 Gomez is called for the foul on Jenkins, who misses the first free throw. The second is good and the game is tied at 75. The Wave will get the last possession of regulation after the timeout.
48.3 Blair's pass is deflected out of bounds by Wheaton and ECU will have a sideout down by 1 and 25 on the shot clock.
58.9 Stith's jumper is short once again and ECU gets the ball.
1:26 Stith misses the jumper but Gomez grabs a big rebound.
1:58 Jenkins hits a big three pointer from the left wing to cut it to 1. All of his made field goals have been from long range tonight, a scorching 8-11 from beyond the arc. Timeout Tulane.
2:11 Vianney is fouled again by Farmer and has a 1 and 1. The front end is good and the second goes in. 75-71 Wave.
2:28 Vianney is fouled driving the lane and has a 1 and 1 opportunity. The first is good as is the second. Wave up 73-71.
2:48 Jenkins is fouled again and will shoot two. The first rolls out but the second is good. Tie ball game.
3:02 Stith is fouled shooting a three pointer and he will have big free throws coming up. The first is good. The second one rattles in to tie the game. The third is nothing but net and the Wave lead 71-70.
3:21 Hinnant is fouled by Wheaton and will have two free crucial free throws. The first is good as is the second. ECU by 2.
3:50 Jenkins rattles in the front end of a one and one. He hits the second free throw to tie it up at 68.
The action's been fast and furious the last 5 minutes with the teams exchanging three pointers. The Wave lead by 2 with just under four minutes remaining. Only a win would be appropriate on Senior Night.
4:24 Vianney hits a three pointer from the baseline and the Wave lead once again, 68-66.
5:00 Hinnant hits a three pointer and ECU leads 66-65.
5:40 Sims hits a layup and is fouled. He completes the three point play to give the Wave a 2 point lead. 65-63.
6:43 Gomez comes right back with a layup to give Tulane the lead at 62-61.
7:03 Legan hits the three pointer to make it 61-60 ECU.
7:23 Wheaton hits the layup and thought he had a 3 point opportunity. Instead, he's called for the charge.
7:56 Farmer hits two free throws to make it a 2 point game. Young then steals it from Sims but misses the layup.
8:13 Stith forces up a shot, grabs the rebound and misses the putback. Gomez grabs the miss and is fouled going back up. He hits one of two free throws to extend the lead out to 4. That was Gomez's first miss from the free throw line today.
8:37 Young is held up by Sims and the Wave will have it as the possession arrow favors them.
8:48 Sims hits two free throws to give the Wave a three point lead.
9:10 Wheaton hits a three pointer from the right baseline to make it 57-56 Wave.
9:25 Farmer hits the layup to give ECU a 2 point lead.
9:38 Gomez hits the jumper but is called for the offensive foul.
9:43 Sims misses the layup but the ball rolls off of ECU. Tulane will have the ball back with a fresh 35.
10:39 Stith tips in a Louisme miss to tie it up again.
11:14 Louisme is fouled as he shoots the right handed hook and will have two free throws. First is no good as is the second. Still a two point game
11:56 Fields tips in a missed three pointer for ECU. Wave down by 2, 54-52.
12:20 Stith hits a jumper from the free throw line to tie the game up once again at 52.
12:52 Louisme follows a missed Stith three point attempt to cut it to 2.
13:19 Puckett fouls Hinnant shooting a three pointer. Hinnant misses the first, hits the second, and makes the third. ECU up by 4, 52-48.
13:31 Fields hits a layup to give ECU a 2 point lead, 50-48.
14:00 Jenkins hits his seventh three pointer of the ball game to tie it up at 48.
14:35 Sims' pass on the fast break is bobbled by Louisme and it rolls out of bounds. It will be ECU ball after the timeout.
14:48 Gomez answers with a jumper of his own to extend the lead out to three once again. 48-45.
15:15 Blair hits a one-handed jumper in the lane to cut the lead to 1.
16:17 Great strip by Puckett as he reaches in and knocks it off of Blair.
17:13 Louisme hits a reverse layup for his 13th point of the game. Wave up three, 46-43
18:06 Stith hits two free throws after being fouled.
18:44 Blair hits a jumper from the baseline and ECU has their first lead of the game, 43-42.
19:11 Jenkins hits a three pointer from the top of the arc to cut it to 1. He's shooting lights out from long range, now 6-7.
Halftime Leaders
Gomez 5-6 FGs, 6-6 FTs 16 points
Louisme 5-9 FGs, 11 points
Stith 6 points, 3 assists
4.0 Stith powers his way in and is fouled by Fields. Stith will have two free throws. The first rolls in. Quick timeout called by ECU. The second is good off of the back iron.
34.4 Gomez is called for the foul on Jenkins, who misses the first free throw. The second is good and the game is tied at 75. The Wave will get the last possession of regulation after the timeout.
48.3 Blair's pass is deflected out of bounds by Wheaton and ECU will have a sideout down by 1 and 25 on the shot clock.
58.9 Stith's jumper is short once again and ECU gets the ball.
1:26 Stith misses the jumper but Gomez grabs a big rebound.
1:58 Jenkins hits a big three pointer from the left wing to cut it to 1. All of his made field goals have been from long range tonight, a scorching 8-11 from beyond the arc. Timeout Tulane.
2:11 Vianney is fouled again by Farmer and has a 1 and 1. The front end is good and the second goes in. 75-71 Wave.
2:28 Vianney is fouled driving the lane and has a 1 and 1 opportunity. The first is good as is the second. Wave up 73-71.
2:48 Jenkins is fouled again and will shoot two. The first rolls out but the second is good. Tie ball game.
3:02 Stith is fouled shooting a three pointer and he will have big free throws coming up. The first is good. The second one rattles in to tie the game. The third is nothing but net and the Wave lead 71-70.
3:21 Hinnant is fouled by Wheaton and will have two free crucial free throws. The first is good as is the second. ECU by 2.
3:50 Jenkins rattles in the front end of a one and one. He hits the second free throw to tie it up at 68.
The action's been fast and furious the last 5 minutes with the teams exchanging three pointers. The Wave lead by 2 with just under four minutes remaining. Only a win would be appropriate on Senior Night.
4:24 Vianney hits a three pointer from the baseline and the Wave lead once again, 68-66.
5:00 Hinnant hits a three pointer and ECU leads 66-65.
5:40 Sims hits a layup and is fouled. He completes the three point play to give the Wave a 2 point lead. 65-63.
6:43 Gomez comes right back with a layup to give Tulane the lead at 62-61.
7:03 Legan hits the three pointer to make it 61-60 ECU.
7:23 Wheaton hits the layup and thought he had a 3 point opportunity. Instead, he's called for the charge.
7:56 Farmer hits two free throws to make it a 2 point game. Young then steals it from Sims but misses the layup.
8:13 Stith forces up a shot, grabs the rebound and misses the putback. Gomez grabs the miss and is fouled going back up. He hits one of two free throws to extend the lead out to 4. That was Gomez's first miss from the free throw line today.
8:37 Young is held up by Sims and the Wave will have it as the possession arrow favors them.
8:48 Sims hits two free throws to give the Wave a three point lead.
9:10 Wheaton hits a three pointer from the right baseline to make it 57-56 Wave.
9:25 Farmer hits the layup to give ECU a 2 point lead.
9:38 Gomez hits the jumper but is called for the offensive foul.
9:43 Sims misses the layup but the ball rolls off of ECU. Tulane will have the ball back with a fresh 35.
10:39 Stith tips in a Louisme miss to tie it up again.
11:14 Louisme is fouled as he shoots the right handed hook and will have two free throws. First is no good as is the second. Still a two point game
11:56 Fields tips in a missed three pointer for ECU. Wave down by 2, 54-52.
12:20 Stith hits a jumper from the free throw line to tie the game up once again at 52.
12:52 Louisme follows a missed Stith three point attempt to cut it to 2.
13:19 Puckett fouls Hinnant shooting a three pointer. Hinnant misses the first, hits the second, and makes the third. ECU up by 4, 52-48.
13:31 Fields hits a layup to give ECU a 2 point lead, 50-48.
14:00 Jenkins hits his seventh three pointer of the ball game to tie it up at 48.
14:35 Sims' pass on the fast break is bobbled by Louisme and it rolls out of bounds. It will be ECU ball after the timeout.
14:48 Gomez answers with a jumper of his own to extend the lead out to three once again. 48-45.
15:15 Blair hits a one-handed jumper in the lane to cut the lead to 1.
16:17 Great strip by Puckett as he reaches in and knocks it off of Blair.
17:13 Louisme hits a reverse layup for his 13th point of the game. Wave up three, 46-43
18:06 Stith hits two free throws after being fouled.
18:44 Blair hits a jumper from the baseline and ECU has their first lead of the game, 43-42.
19:11 Jenkins hits a three pointer from the top of the arc to cut it to 1. He's shooting lights out from long range, now 6-7.
Halftime Leaders
Gomez 5-6 FGs, 6-6 FTs 16 points
Louisme 5-9 FGs, 11 points
Stith 6 points, 3 assists
Men's Basketball vs. East Carolina 1st Half
1.8 Stith can't get the shot off and commits the foul on Farmer on the fast break. He hits both free throws as the Pirates draw even closer. A bad end to what has otherwise been a very positive first half.
40.3 Jenkins draws the foul on Vianney, his third and has two free throws. He hits both.
1:17 Stith rattles in the first of two free throws. The second is long and Carolina comes away with it.
1:55 Gomez banks it in off glass.
2:37 Jenkins hits another three pointer, this time with the shot clock running down to cut it to 39-34.
3:17 Gomez hits two free throws and is still perfect from the stripe. 39-31 Wave. As a team, Tulane continues to maintain a perfect clip from the line.
With 3:17 left in the half, Gomez will have two free throws after the timeout as the Wave look to reassert themselves after a 6-0 run that cut their lead in half.
4:22 Jenkins with another three pointer and the Wave lead is quickly down to six.
4:43 Jenkins now 3-3 from long distance as the Pirates cut it to 9.
5:11 Gomez hits another pair of freebies to give him 12 on the night. 37-25 Wave.
5:41 Wheaton misses the jumper but Gomez is there to grab the offensive rebound and is fouled going back up. Gomez hits both free throws, as the Wave continue to keep it a double-digit margin.
6:21 Vianney hits two free throws to make it a double digit game at 33-23.
6:57 Gomez hits another tough reverse layup after a nice pass from Mayhane. 31-21 Wave. Gomez now has 8 to go along with 6 boards.
7:32 Gomez drives to the free throw line and hits the jumper. Wave up 29-21
8:23 Sims hits a long three pointer with 7 on the shot clock.
9:13 Louisme hits the short jumper and is fouled and will have a free throw coming. The free throw is good. 24-19 Wave
10:12 Gomez hits the tough reverse layup to give the Wave the lead right back. 21-19
11:21 Hinnant hits yet another three pointer to tie up the game at 19
12:11 Louisme hits another soft hook after East Carolina hit another three pointer, their 4th of the ball game. 19-16 Tulane
12:30 Good pass from Puckett as he finds Louisme underneath the basket, who lays it in easily.
12:54 Puckett fouls Hinnant shooting a three pointer, who hits two of three from the line. 15-11 Wave.
13:20 Jenkins hits his second three pointer of the game from the right baseline. 15-9 Tulane
13:40 Vianney steals the pass and Stith is fouled on the fast-break. Stith hits both free throws.
14:01 Sims drops in a baseline jumper for a 13-6 Wave lead.
14:19 Jenkins hits a three from the right wing for East Carolina. 11-6 Wave
15:39 Stith hits a three pointer for an 11-3 Wave lead.
Interesting note: Kris Richard is missing from tonight's game. No news about his absence.
17:11 Gagnon hits a three pointer for the Pirates' first points. 8-3 Tulane
17:17 Good movement by the Wave leads to a Louisme hook shot that goes in. 8-0 Wave
17:45 Gomez drops it in after a Louisme miss. East Carolina timeout as the Wave are off to a hot start.
18:11 Sims hits a layup for an early 4-0 Tulane lead
18:47 Louisme misses the jumper but gets his own rebound and goes back up and scores the first points of the game. Wave 2 Carolina 0
19:30 East Carolina misses the first shot and Gomez is tied up. The possession belongs to the Wave
Starting Lineups
Tulane
Stith
Gomez
Wheaton
Sims
Louisme
East Carolina
Farmer
Hinnant
Gagnon
Jenkins
Blair
Friday, March 7, 2008
Rick Jones gets extension, sounds off on schedule
A good year for Tulane baseball head coach Rick Jones just got a little bit better today. Tulane Athletics Director Rick Dickson announced Thursday that Jones' contract has been extended through 2015. The extension was in the works in 2005, according to Dickson, but Hurricane Katrina delayed the negotiations.
No complaints here. Heck-- let's lock him up until 2030. Does
Schedule too crowded?
Speaking of Jones, here's a tease from staff writer Jon Posner's upcoming print article previewing the UC Irvine game. Jones is quoted as being upset with the new scheduling rules and the powers that be:
He's definitely got a legitimate beef, and Arizona head coach Andy Lopez agrees (although it seems like the players like the new scheduling). We'll ask Tulane players how they feel about it this weekend, but I would imagine they wouldn't like it too much either. For instance, weekday starter Jonathan Garret, a junior, is also a Biomedical Engineering major. Students in the engineering school can barely balance school with minor extracurriculars while still maintaining some semblance of a social life. I wonder how Garrett does it? Sounds like an article in the making.
"It was our intent following the 2005 College World Series to synchronize an announcement of a contract extension for Rick Jones with the opening of the new stadium, but that was obviously delayed," Dickson said. "This extension will secure Tulane's baseball future through the Rick Jones era and the completion of his coaching career."
No complaints here. Heck-- let's lock him up until 2030. Does
Schedule too crowded?
Speaking of Jones, here's a tease from staff writer Jon Posner's upcoming print article previewing the UC Irvine game. Jones is quoted as being upset with the new scheduling rules and the powers that be:
Coach Jones is also worried about how rested his team will be for this weekend. Thanks to new rules by the NCAA, teams are forced to have more condensed schedules. Going into Friday the Green Wave will have played ten games in 15 days. Besides the fact that his players may be fatigued, Coach Jones is just not happy with the new rule.
“We are playing a major league schedule as far as the number of games, but a major-leaguer does not have to pass 18 hours at Tulane University,” said Jones. “So there is no question that the NCAA did not look after college baseball players with this schedule.”
As Coach Jones knows though, complaining is not going to change the schedule and the games still have to be played. This is going to be a tough weekend, and it will take a team effort to come away with a series victory. While the schedule so far has been hard, Coach Jones knows that it is only for the best and it is a great opportunity for the Green Wave to see what the national competition is like.
He's definitely got a legitimate beef, and Arizona head coach Andy Lopez agrees (although it seems like the players like the new scheduling). We'll ask Tulane players how they feel about it this weekend, but I would imagine they wouldn't like it too much either. For instance, weekday starter Jonathan Garret, a junior, is also a Biomedical Engineering major. Students in the engineering school can barely balance school with minor extracurriculars while still maintaining some semblance of a social life. I wonder how Garrett does it? Sounds like an article in the making.
Season Over for Women's Basketball
After ending the regular season on a high note with an impressive win against SMU, the women's basketball team fell in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament 65-58 to Marshall, in all likelihood ending their season.
According to Lisa Stockton, the team that beat Kansas St. and SMU showed up in the second half while the team that stunk it up in conference showed up in the first half. The question remains: why? Was the team not motivated, or did they not feel a sense of urgency? Any team that shoots 17% for an entire half doesn't deserve to be competitive in a game. It's hard to imagine motivation being a factor, and Marshall's defense isn't exactly the one of the best in the nation (although they are fourth in C-USA). Even if it was, there's really no excuse for shooting that poorly unless the effort or sense of urgency wasn't there.
In the end, it was a combination of the understandable inconsistency of young players and the lack of mental fortitude on this team that hurt it in conference play. When shots weren't falling, everything seemed to fall apart and the scrappy, tenacious mindset that characterized last season's team disappeared. The loss of scorers and team leaders like Montagnino and Henry
Still, there's a lot to look forward to next season. Ashley Langford should be All-Conference and, if she improves over the summer, an All-American. Slaton and Aidoo showed a lot of potential, and only Alendra Brown, Nikki Luckhurst and Dominique Philpots will graduate, leaving a number of solid role players. But in order to avoid a repeat of this season, someone will have to step up an score over 15 points per game and show they can bail the team out during offensive slumps.
Here's an unusually succinct quote from a usually-chatty Nikki Luckhurst (from the game story on the official website):
"I can't believe that it's over. It's been a great four years, I couldn't ask for anything better."
According to Lisa Stockton, the team that beat Kansas St. and SMU showed up in the second half while the team that stunk it up in conference showed up in the first half. The question remains: why? Was the team not motivated, or did they not feel a sense of urgency? Any team that shoots 17% for an entire half doesn't deserve to be competitive in a game. It's hard to imagine motivation being a factor, and Marshall's defense isn't exactly the one of the best in the nation (although they are fourth in C-USA). Even if it was, there's really no excuse for shooting that poorly unless the effort or sense of urgency wasn't there.
In the end, it was a combination of the understandable inconsistency of young players and the lack of mental fortitude on this team that hurt it in conference play. When shots weren't falling, everything seemed to fall apart and the scrappy, tenacious mindset that characterized last season's team disappeared. The loss of scorers and team leaders like Montagnino and Henry
Still, there's a lot to look forward to next season. Ashley Langford should be All-Conference and, if she improves over the summer, an All-American. Slaton and Aidoo showed a lot of potential, and only Alendra Brown, Nikki Luckhurst and Dominique Philpots will graduate, leaving a number of solid role players. But in order to avoid a repeat of this season, someone will have to step up an score over 15 points per game and show they can bail the team out during offensive slumps.
Here's an unusually succinct quote from a usually-chatty Nikki Luckhurst (from the game story on the official website):
"I can't believe that it's over. It's been a great four years, I couldn't ask for anything better."
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Dairy Queen Classic Recap
Update: Pictures from Minnesota (scroll down a little)
Also, Baseball America interviews a few National League scouts who views Shooter Hunt as a sure-fire No.1 or No. 2 starter. Can't say I disagree.
Tulane baseball (6-2) finished out a rough weekend in Minnesota with a win over an impressive TCU team. Due to unfortunate tournament scheduling, Shooter Hunt and the Green Wave had to go up against Pepperdine ace Brett Hunter. Hunt and Hunter gave up two runs a piece, but the Tulane bullpen gave up two runs in the last to innings, while Waves reliever Nick Gaudi pitched two shutout innings to seal a 4-2 victory for Pepperdine.
While Pepperdine was bound to be a tough matchup, the loss to Minnesota on Saturday was more of a shocker. Tulane led until the eighth inning, when Vanderbilt transfer Josh Zeid and righthander Preston Claiborne gave up four runs to give Minnesota a 7-5 lead and eventually the win.
The bullpen rebounded today against TCU after freshman Robbie Broach gave up three runs in six innings. Freshman Nick Pepitone gave up a hit in 1.1 innings, and closer Mason Griffin retired the last four batters for the save. Junior Seth Henry had a pair of hits while junior Aja Barto hit a solo homer.
Overall, it wasn't an ideal weekend (especially after losing to the Gophers), but at least the team left with a win. UNO, Southern and UC Irvine loom this weekend.
Also, Baseball America interviews a few National League scouts who views Shooter Hunt as a sure-fire No.1 or No. 2 starter. Can't say I disagree.
Tulane baseball (6-2) finished out a rough weekend in Minnesota with a win over an impressive TCU team. Due to unfortunate tournament scheduling, Shooter Hunt and the Green Wave had to go up against Pepperdine ace Brett Hunter. Hunt and Hunter gave up two runs a piece, but the Tulane bullpen gave up two runs in the last to innings, while Waves reliever Nick Gaudi pitched two shutout innings to seal a 4-2 victory for Pepperdine.
While Pepperdine was bound to be a tough matchup, the loss to Minnesota on Saturday was more of a shocker. Tulane led until the eighth inning, when Vanderbilt transfer Josh Zeid and righthander Preston Claiborne gave up four runs to give Minnesota a 7-5 lead and eventually the win.
The bullpen rebounded today against TCU after freshman Robbie Broach gave up three runs in six innings. Freshman Nick Pepitone gave up a hit in 1.1 innings, and closer Mason Griffin retired the last four batters for the save. Junior Seth Henry had a pair of hits while junior Aja Barto hit a solo homer.
Overall, it wasn't an ideal weekend (especially after losing to the Gophers), but at least the team left with a win. UNO, Southern and UC Irvine loom this weekend.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Baseball crushes Louisiana-Lafayette
UPDATE: Our friends over at Gopher Nation have informed us that they will be blogging this weekend. Also, be sure to check out CSTV's score updates.
Despite the freezing cold temperatures outside, a modest contingency (albeit relatively quiet and focused on keeping warm) of Tulane fans showed up to see the Green Wave pummel No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette. Junior Anthony Scelfo notched not one, but two triples. He had three hits for the night and a walk in five plate appearances. For those who missed it, you can actually "replay" the game with CSTV's nifty gametracker.
Player of the Game: Jonathan Garrett
While Scelfo reeked havoc at the top of the lineup (along with junior Drew Allain, who looked really good at the lead-off spot again), junior starter Jonathan Garret pitched a heck of a game, giving up only a hit in six scoreless innings. Sure, the Cajuns offense might be struggling, but Garret looked sharp with his location and featured some nasty breaking balls.
Stat of the Game: 1
That's the number of earned runs the bullpen gave up today, the first its given up over the course of the young season. That puts them well short of the 2005 Tulane bullpen's feat of no runs allowed in its first 15 games. But the culprit was third baseman and part-time reliever Rob Segedin, which begs the question: should that really count?
Coming Up
The Green Wave will be in Minnesota for the Dairy Queen Classic. Its opponents will include the Gophers as well as TCU and Pepperdine (which, other than Rice and UC Irvine, may be the best team TUlane faces in the regular season).
Despite the freezing cold temperatures outside, a modest contingency (albeit relatively quiet and focused on keeping warm) of Tulane fans showed up to see the Green Wave pummel No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette. Junior Anthony Scelfo notched not one, but two triples. He had three hits for the night and a walk in five plate appearances. For those who missed it, you can actually "replay" the game with CSTV's nifty gametracker.
Player of the Game: Jonathan Garrett
While Scelfo reeked havoc at the top of the lineup (along with junior Drew Allain, who looked really good at the lead-off spot again), junior starter Jonathan Garret pitched a heck of a game, giving up only a hit in six scoreless innings. Sure, the Cajuns offense might be struggling, but Garret looked sharp with his location and featured some nasty breaking balls.
Stat of the Game: 1
That's the number of earned runs the bullpen gave up today, the first its given up over the course of the young season. That puts them well short of the 2005 Tulane bullpen's feat of no runs allowed in its first 15 games. But the culprit was third baseman and part-time reliever Rob Segedin, which begs the question: should that really count?
Coming Up
The Green Wave will be in Minnesota for the Dairy Queen Classic. Its opponents will include the Gophers as well as TCU and Pepperdine (which, other than Rice and UC Irvine, may be the best team TUlane faces in the regular season).
Baseball over Southeastern Louisiana, 4-3
What a thriller!! A game-winning single by junior Sam Honeck in the bottom of the 12th keeps the Green Wave undefeated. But the real MVPs tonight were the Tulane bullpen, which only allowed one run (an unearned one in the 11th inning). Junior Drew Allain did an admirable job at the top of the lineup. Here is a recap, along with quotes and a box score.
Two things worry me about this team to this point. First, let's hope the starters can go deeper than five innings so that Jones won't have to overextend the bullpen. The dominance of this unit reminds me a lot of the 2005 relief staff that didn't give up an earned run in its first 15 games of the season. Still, it will be crucial to have these arms fresh for Conference USA and (in all likelihood) postseason play. The other issue is the offense, which, other than a few big innings (caused by Illinois-Chicago's horrendous defense), looks a little shaky so far. Of course, the optimists will point out that the guys struggling so far are freshmen like infielder Rob Segedin or transfers still settling in like sophomore shortstop Josh Prince.
But overall, this team looks like it's ready for a challenge like No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette tomorrow or Pepperdine in the Dairy Queen Classic (great name) this weekend.
Two things worry me about this team to this point. First, let's hope the starters can go deeper than five innings so that Jones won't have to overextend the bullpen. The dominance of this unit reminds me a lot of the 2005 relief staff that didn't give up an earned run in its first 15 games of the season. Still, it will be crucial to have these arms fresh for Conference USA and (in all likelihood) postseason play. The other issue is the offense, which, other than a few big innings (caused by Illinois-Chicago's horrendous defense), looks a little shaky so far. Of course, the optimists will point out that the guys struggling so far are freshmen like infielder Rob Segedin or transfers still settling in like sophomore shortstop Josh Prince.
But overall, this team looks like it's ready for a challenge like No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette tomorrow or Pepperdine in the Dairy Queen Classic (great name) this weekend.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Baseball Roundup: No. 18 vs. No. 25 Wednesday night in Turchin
The new Baseball America (the best publication in the business) rankings are out, and Tulane jumped from No.22 to No. 18 following its sweep of Illinois-Chicago. Meanwhile, tomorrow night's opponent, Louisiana-Lafayette (2-2), jumped to No. 25 after being unranked to begin the season [UPDATE: One commenter noted correctly that ULL was actually ranked No. 19 to begin the season -- my apologies]. The only other notable ranking is Rice at No. 15, as East Carolina dropped out after a bad weekend. Here are some other rankings out there (note: future TUlane opponents Pepperdine and UC Irvine are ranked in many of these polls).
The different between Baseball America and other rankings is that the Baseball America people actually watch the games. So Arizona, for example, won two of three on the road in Georgia to start the season, a very tough place to play. Other rankings dropped Arizona a little bit for losing a game, but Baseball America put them at No. 1 because of how well they played and the competitiveness of the Sun Devil's 9-7 opening-day loss. Bottom line: I trust Baseball America's ranking more than any of the other ones.
Tonight's starters vs. SELA
Sophomore lefty Matt Petitone, a former high school All-American, will take the mound against Lions lefthander, Rene LeBlanc. Petitone is a transfer from North Carolina and a native of Garden City, N.Y.
Tomorrow Night's Starters vs. ULL
Junior right-hander Jonathan Garret will make the second start of his career Wednesday night against the No. 25 Ragin' Cajuns. He will face lefty John Zorich.
The different between Baseball America and other rankings is that the Baseball America people actually watch the games. So Arizona, for example, won two of three on the road in Georgia to start the season, a very tough place to play. Other rankings dropped Arizona a little bit for losing a game, but Baseball America put them at No. 1 because of how well they played and the competitiveness of the Sun Devil's 9-7 opening-day loss. Bottom line: I trust Baseball America's ranking more than any of the other ones.
Tonight's starters vs. SELA
Sophomore lefty Matt Petitone, a former high school All-American, will take the mound against Lions lefthander, Rene LeBlanc. Petitone is a transfer from North Carolina and a native of Garden City, N.Y.
Tomorrow Night's Starters vs. ULL
Junior right-hander Jonathan Garret will make the second start of his career Wednesday night against the No. 25 Ragin' Cajuns. He will face lefty John Zorich.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Men's Basketball vs. Southern Miss 2nd Half
The Wave fall once again, 70-59. That's the fifth straight defeat after the day started with such great promise. It'll be a very disappointed locker room but the Wave still have an opportunity to salvage the season.
Gotta love the Tulane pep band who chants "education" while USM fans start their cheer
13.6 Wise hits two more free throws. Wave down 11.
25.4 Mayhane shoots a three that gets nothing but air. Stith grabs the offensive rebound. Mayhane puts up another three and is fouled. All three shots are good but the Wave trail by 9.
41.7 Stith commits the foul after Sims missed the layup. Wise with another two free throws. Both are good once again and the Wave will need a miracle down by 12.
1:02 Sims grabs Wise and commits the foul. Both free throws are good and the Wave trail by 10.
1:29 Mayhane misses the three and S. Miss brings it up slowly.
2:48 Stith is fouled hard going for the dunk. He'll have two crucial free throws after the official timeout. The first free throw is good but the second rims out. Gomez taps it out to Stith. Wave commits the turnover after it's knocked away from Stith. Southern Miss comes away with it and hits a three pointer, that could be the dagger as the Wave trail by 8.
3:02 Craft hits a jumper to push the lead out to 6.
3:30 Gomez's shot rolls in and out. Unlucky for the Wave. Southern Miss calls a timeout with 26 left on the shot clock.
4:55 Richard commits the loose-ball foul as Mayhane turned it over. One of two free throws for Craft. Richard ends up with the ball after the second free throw is no good. He outlets it to Sims who lays it in and appears to have been fouled. No call. Wave down 57-53.
5:57 Mayhane commits the shooting foul on Stephens. The first goes in and out. The 2nd is good. 56-51 Eagles.
A crucial possession game coming up for the Wave as they trail by 4 with six minutes left. Southern Miss has possession with 13 left on the shot clock.
7:05 Wheaton telegraphed that last pass and it was picked off by Wise. Wheaton commits the foul on Wise who was going in for the layup. Mayhane quickly back to the scorer's table to check in for Wheaton. Wise hits 1 of 2 free throws to make it a 4 point game.
7:44 Gomez grabs the miss by Louisme and lays it in to cut it to 1.
8:47 Sims misses his first three of the game but S. Miss turns the ball over out of bounds on the other end.
9:18 Wise drops it in high off glass to give S. Miss a 3 point lead. Dickerson calls timeout.
10:27 Stith commits the foul on Stephens who hits the layup. The free throw is long and Gomez comes up with it. Mayhane commits the turnover on the traveling violation.
10:49 Louisme hits the one handed hook to make it 49-48 Tulane
11:16 Bad foul by Wheaton as he committed the turnover right before. S. Miss in the bonus the rest of the way.
11:40 Gomez commits the foul on Wise. He hits both free throws to make it 48-47 Eagles
11:48 Louisme rolls in the jumper but is called for the offensive foul. The ball will go back to S. Miss after the official timeout. The Wave up to 61.5% from three point range.
12:26 Mayhane hits a three from the left wing to give Tulane the lead back, 47-46.
12:55 Wise hits a step back three pointer to give the Eagles the lead 46-44
13:36 Stephens hits the layup and is fouled by Stith. The three point play is not converted but Stephens rebounds his own miss and lays it back in. Wave up by 1, 44-43
14:55 Mayhane hits another three for the Wave to extend the lead out to 5. Wave shooting lights out tonight, up to 61% from the field and 7-12 from long distance.
15:38 Louisme drives the baseline and drops in a soft jumper. Wave up 2.
16:15 Richard hits the soft hook to tie it at 39 apiece.
16:51 Beasley hits a jumper to give S. Miss the lead by 2.
17:07 Richard hits another three to tie it up at 37. Richard is 3-4 so far.
17:26 Sims fouls Wise on the fastbreak to prevent the easy basket. Wise hits both and So. Miss has its biggest lead of the ball game at 3 points.
18:13 Louisme is fouled shooting a jumper and will have two free throws. Wave went 3-5 from the stripe in the first half. The first attempt is no good as is the second. Wave still up by 1, 34-33
18:50 Richard converts on a layup with the shot clock winding down to extend the lead out to three.
Southern Miss opens up in man-to-man for the first time this game it seems.
Sims leads all scorers with 15 points on 5-5 shooting, 3-3 from beyond the arc.
The Wave shot a blistering 57% from the field in the first half but still only have a 1 point cushion mainly due to 8 turnovers. If the Wave take care of the basketball in the second half, they should pull out the win.
Gotta love the Tulane pep band who chants "education" while USM fans start their cheer
13.6 Wise hits two more free throws. Wave down 11.
25.4 Mayhane shoots a three that gets nothing but air. Stith grabs the offensive rebound. Mayhane puts up another three and is fouled. All three shots are good but the Wave trail by 9.
41.7 Stith commits the foul after Sims missed the layup. Wise with another two free throws. Both are good once again and the Wave will need a miracle down by 12.
1:02 Sims grabs Wise and commits the foul. Both free throws are good and the Wave trail by 10.
1:29 Mayhane misses the three and S. Miss brings it up slowly.
2:48 Stith is fouled hard going for the dunk. He'll have two crucial free throws after the official timeout. The first free throw is good but the second rims out. Gomez taps it out to Stith. Wave commits the turnover after it's knocked away from Stith. Southern Miss comes away with it and hits a three pointer, that could be the dagger as the Wave trail by 8.
3:02 Craft hits a jumper to push the lead out to 6.
3:30 Gomez's shot rolls in and out. Unlucky for the Wave. Southern Miss calls a timeout with 26 left on the shot clock.
4:55 Richard commits the loose-ball foul as Mayhane turned it over. One of two free throws for Craft. Richard ends up with the ball after the second free throw is no good. He outlets it to Sims who lays it in and appears to have been fouled. No call. Wave down 57-53.
5:57 Mayhane commits the shooting foul on Stephens. The first goes in and out. The 2nd is good. 56-51 Eagles.
A crucial possession game coming up for the Wave as they trail by 4 with six minutes left. Southern Miss has possession with 13 left on the shot clock.
7:05 Wheaton telegraphed that last pass and it was picked off by Wise. Wheaton commits the foul on Wise who was going in for the layup. Mayhane quickly back to the scorer's table to check in for Wheaton. Wise hits 1 of 2 free throws to make it a 4 point game.
7:44 Gomez grabs the miss by Louisme and lays it in to cut it to 1.
8:47 Sims misses his first three of the game but S. Miss turns the ball over out of bounds on the other end.
9:18 Wise drops it in high off glass to give S. Miss a 3 point lead. Dickerson calls timeout.
10:27 Stith commits the foul on Stephens who hits the layup. The free throw is long and Gomez comes up with it. Mayhane commits the turnover on the traveling violation.
10:49 Louisme hits the one handed hook to make it 49-48 Tulane
11:16 Bad foul by Wheaton as he committed the turnover right before. S. Miss in the bonus the rest of the way.
11:40 Gomez commits the foul on Wise. He hits both free throws to make it 48-47 Eagles
11:48 Louisme rolls in the jumper but is called for the offensive foul. The ball will go back to S. Miss after the official timeout. The Wave up to 61.5% from three point range.
12:26 Mayhane hits a three from the left wing to give Tulane the lead back, 47-46.
12:55 Wise hits a step back three pointer to give the Eagles the lead 46-44
13:36 Stephens hits the layup and is fouled by Stith. The three point play is not converted but Stephens rebounds his own miss and lays it back in. Wave up by 1, 44-43
14:55 Mayhane hits another three for the Wave to extend the lead out to 5. Wave shooting lights out tonight, up to 61% from the field and 7-12 from long distance.
15:38 Louisme drives the baseline and drops in a soft jumper. Wave up 2.
16:15 Richard hits the soft hook to tie it at 39 apiece.
16:51 Beasley hits a jumper to give S. Miss the lead by 2.
17:07 Richard hits another three to tie it up at 37. Richard is 3-4 so far.
17:26 Sims fouls Wise on the fastbreak to prevent the easy basket. Wise hits both and So. Miss has its biggest lead of the ball game at 3 points.
18:13 Louisme is fouled shooting a jumper and will have two free throws. Wave went 3-5 from the stripe in the first half. The first attempt is no good as is the second. Wave still up by 1, 34-33
18:50 Richard converts on a layup with the shot clock winding down to extend the lead out to three.
Southern Miss opens up in man-to-man for the first time this game it seems.
Sims leads all scorers with 15 points on 5-5 shooting, 3-3 from beyond the arc.
The Wave shot a blistering 57% from the field in the first half but still only have a 1 point cushion mainly due to 8 turnovers. If the Wave take care of the basketball in the second half, they should pull out the win.
Men's Basketball vs. Southern Miss 1st Half
0.0 Gomez heaves it from half court but it is way off line. The Wave take a one point lead into halftime at 32-31.
50.4 Beasley hits two free throws to make it a one point game, 32-31.
1:13 Louisme is fouled going to the basket and will shoot two free throws. The first is good...but the second is not. Tulane grabs the offensive rebound but Gomez commits the turnover.
1:30 Wise lays it on the fastbreak and the lead is cut to two.
2:25 Sims hits a jumper from inside the free thow line.
3:16 Louisme scores on the reverse layup and the Wave back up by 4, 29-25
4:04 Shot clock violation on the Wave. Richard's heave didn't touch iron.
5:03 Courtney Beasley lays it in after a nice feed and Dickerson calls timeout as the Eagles are on a 7-0 run.
5:29 Kraft hits a three for S. Miss and the lead shrinks to 4
6:42 Sims hits another three, he's been perfect from three so far. Wave up 27-18
7:46 Richard hits the three with the shot clock running out. The Wave are up 24-16.
8:57 Mayhanne misses the three as it rolls in and then out.
9:54 Gomez commits the foul on Wise, who will have two free throw attempts. The first one is no good and the second rolls in. 21-16 Wave
10:14 Gomez scores on the short jumper. I do believe that bucket is his first of the game. Wave up 21-15
10:59 After committing the turnover, Wheaton draws the charge on S. Miss on the fastbreak attempt. It'll be Wave ball after the timeout.
11:47 Sims hits an NBA range three from the top of the key. Wave still perfect from three
12:38 Great ball fake from McQueen and he hits the soft hook to extend the lead out to 4.
13:40 Richard hits a three from the left wing to give the Wave lead 14-12. Wave 2 of 2 from long distance so far
13:59 Wise converts at the other end on the fastbreak. S. Miss up 12-11.
15:08 Sims hits the Wave's first three pointer of the game. Wave up 11-8
15:45 Wise hits another three for the Eagles. Game tied at 8
16:08 Great movement off the ball by Wheaton as he takes in the pass from Richard and lays it in easily. Wave up 3
17:02 Sims is fouled and will shoot two free throws. Sims hits the first and the second. Wave up 6-5
17:48 Great hustle by Richard is wasted as Louisme throws it too deep for Gomez to grab.
18:14 Louisme drops in the hook shot and S. Miss calls a timeout. Eustachy was not very happy.
19:19 Sims drives the lane and lays it in, he's fouled in the process but cant hit the free throw.
19:37 Andre Stephens scores the first bucket of the game for S. Miss on a jumper.
One lineup change this evening as Kris Richard starts ahead of Daniel Puckett
The crowd is very different than it was Wednesday. In fact, there may be more visiting fans than Tulane fans 10 minutes to tip-off. Looking behind me, I can count the number of students in attendance on one hand.
Tulane takes on Southern Miss in a crucial game this evening at Fogelman. Coming off of another (somewhat expected) loss this past Wednesday against Memphis, the Wave will look to stop the bleeding of four consecutive losses. The two teams met earlier in the season with Southern Miss defeating the Wave 71-54 in Hattiesburg. In that game, the Wave were plagued by poor shooting and will have to shoot better to have any chance of coming out with a victory.
Look for Dave Gomez to once again lead the Wave tonight, while the Wave will have to watch S. Miss guard Jeremy Wise very closely. The sophomore leads the Golden Eagles in scoring and is amongst the top 5 overall in Conference USA.
50.4 Beasley hits two free throws to make it a one point game, 32-31.
1:13 Louisme is fouled going to the basket and will shoot two free throws. The first is good...but the second is not. Tulane grabs the offensive rebound but Gomez commits the turnover.
1:30 Wise lays it on the fastbreak and the lead is cut to two.
2:25 Sims hits a jumper from inside the free thow line.
3:16 Louisme scores on the reverse layup and the Wave back up by 4, 29-25
4:04 Shot clock violation on the Wave. Richard's heave didn't touch iron.
5:03 Courtney Beasley lays it in after a nice feed and Dickerson calls timeout as the Eagles are on a 7-0 run.
5:29 Kraft hits a three for S. Miss and the lead shrinks to 4
6:42 Sims hits another three, he's been perfect from three so far. Wave up 27-18
7:46 Richard hits the three with the shot clock running out. The Wave are up 24-16.
8:57 Mayhanne misses the three as it rolls in and then out.
9:54 Gomez commits the foul on Wise, who will have two free throw attempts. The first one is no good and the second rolls in. 21-16 Wave
10:14 Gomez scores on the short jumper. I do believe that bucket is his first of the game. Wave up 21-15
10:59 After committing the turnover, Wheaton draws the charge on S. Miss on the fastbreak attempt. It'll be Wave ball after the timeout.
11:47 Sims hits an NBA range three from the top of the key. Wave still perfect from three
12:38 Great ball fake from McQueen and he hits the soft hook to extend the lead out to 4.
13:40 Richard hits a three from the left wing to give the Wave lead 14-12. Wave 2 of 2 from long distance so far
13:59 Wise converts at the other end on the fastbreak. S. Miss up 12-11.
15:08 Sims hits the Wave's first three pointer of the game. Wave up 11-8
15:45 Wise hits another three for the Eagles. Game tied at 8
16:08 Great movement off the ball by Wheaton as he takes in the pass from Richard and lays it in easily. Wave up 3
17:02 Sims is fouled and will shoot two free throws. Sims hits the first and the second. Wave up 6-5
17:48 Great hustle by Richard is wasted as Louisme throws it too deep for Gomez to grab.
18:14 Louisme drops in the hook shot and S. Miss calls a timeout. Eustachy was not very happy.
19:19 Sims drives the lane and lays it in, he's fouled in the process but cant hit the free throw.
19:37 Andre Stephens scores the first bucket of the game for S. Miss on a jumper.
One lineup change this evening as Kris Richard starts ahead of Daniel Puckett
The crowd is very different than it was Wednesday. In fact, there may be more visiting fans than Tulane fans 10 minutes to tip-off. Looking behind me, I can count the number of students in attendance on one hand.
Tulane takes on Southern Miss in a crucial game this evening at Fogelman. Coming off of another (somewhat expected) loss this past Wednesday against Memphis, the Wave will look to stop the bleeding of four consecutive losses. The two teams met earlier in the season with Southern Miss defeating the Wave 71-54 in Hattiesburg. In that game, the Wave were plagued by poor shooting and will have to shoot better to have any chance of coming out with a victory.
Look for Dave Gomez to once again lead the Wave tonight, while the Wave will have to watch S. Miss guard Jeremy Wise very closely. The sophomore leads the Golden Eagles in scoring and is amongst the top 5 overall in Conference USA.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Baseball vs. Illinois-Chicago (Game 1)
Final Score: Tulane 6, Illinois-Chicago 0.
Quotes and analysis to follow this weekend.
Ninth Inning
Top Half
The Green Wave is three outs away from winning its season opener. Closer Mason Griffin, a right-handed submariner with a great breaking ball.
Batter 1: After Rubio works the count to 1-1, the Flames pull him and put in Devin Melecio to throw off Griffin. The bizarre move doesn't pay off as Melecio hits a weak chopper to Griffin, who throws him out.
Batter 2: Altavilla, bewildered by Grffin's breaking ball, swings wildly at one way off the plate for the second out.
Batter 3: Rutto grounds out to the third baseman. Game Over.
Eighth Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: With Trey Martin pitching for the Green Wave, Ganek grounds out to start the inning.
Batter 2: Infielder Andy Leonard singles to the right field gap but can't turn it into two.
Batter 3: Mcguiggan fouls out to the right field bullpen area.
Batter 4: Garcia grounds into a force out to end the inning.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Adam Worthington now in to pitch for the Flames. Barto leads off the inning by grounding out to the shortstop.
Batter 2: Jared Dyer, looking for the first four-hit game of his career, works the count to 2-2, then fouls off about six pitches before striking out on a pitch in the dirt. Two outs.
Batter 3: Henry pops up to end the inning. Looks like Mason Griffin will come in to close out the game for the Green Wave.
Seventh Inning
Top Half
Shooter Hunt has left the game. His line: 6.0 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 8 strikeouts
Batter 1: Another dribbler in front of the catcher, another great play by Dyer. He's the MVP of the game so far.
Batter 2: Schaffer grounds out to the second baseman Henry. Two outs.
Batter 3: Yet another dribbler in front of Dyer, who tosses it to first base to end the inning.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Righty Chris Kovacevich comes in for Phillis and gets off to a good start by striking out McFadden.
Batter 2: Scelfo hits a blooper to the second baseman. Two quick outs.
Batter 3: Segedin hits a sharp grounder to the third baseman, who throws him out. Inning over.
Sixth Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Garcia grounds out to Segedin for the first out. Tulane's defense has been outstanding so far.
Batter 2: Rubio grounds out to Segedin. Hunt is starting to pitch to contact more as the game wears on.
Batter 3: Altavilla dribbles a ball three feet in front of the catcher, Dyer, who promptly throws him out to end the inning.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: With the count full, Segedin smashes a ball throught the left side of the infield. Flames starter Grant Kohlstaedt looks vulnerable right now. I predict at least a run this inning.
Batter 2: On a 2-2 pitch, Barto makes contact on an off-speed pitch low and away and drives through the left side of the infield for a hit. The Green Wave hitters continue to take Kohlsteadt deep into counts. Runners on first and second, no outs.
Batter 3: After trying to bunt the runners over on the first pitch, Dyer gets a hit to load the bases. Kohlsteadt gets yanked by Flames coach Mike Dee, who brings in left hander Don Phillis to face Seth Henry, who usually struggles against southpaws. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict three runs this inning instead of one.
Batter 4: Henry hits a line drive down the left field line, but it lands foul. He strikes out on the next pitch. Bases still loaded, one out.
Batter 5: After telling everyone i the press box that the next pitch would be a hit, Prince sure enough dribbles one to the third baseman, than beats out the throw to make me look like a genious. 5-0 Tulane
Batter 6: Phillis, the Flames' reliever, stops a sharp grounder at his legs. With an easy force-out available at home plate, he unexplicably throws the ball to first, allowing the run to score. Runners on second and third, two outs. 6-0 Tulane.
Batter 7: Strikeout
Fifth Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Jason Ganek strikes out looking. That's seven strikeouts for Hunt, who hasn't shown signs of slowing down yet.
Batter 2: Leonard strikes out looking. Eight strikeouts now.
Batter 3: McGuiggan successfully bunts his way on base, then gets caught stealing to end the inning. Inning over.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Allain strikes out swinging.
Batter 2: Honeck gets under a pitch and flies out to center field. Two outs
Batter 3: McFadden beats out a throw to first on a routine grounder. The scorekeeper rules it as an error.Surpringly, that's only three for the game by the Flames despite all the mistakes they've made in the field.
Batter 4: Scelfo looks like he had a pitch to hit, but gets under the ball slightly. The ball lands just shy of the warning track.Inning over.
Thoughts so far:
Both pitchers look great so far. The difference has been Illinois-Chicago's poor defense.
Fourth inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Altavilla gets a hit to lead off the inning. It's the least he could do for botching at least three plays in the field.
Batter 2: Schaefer strikes out.
Batter 3: Coddington gets caught looking to end the inning. Hunt
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Barto makes great contact, but gets under the pitch a little bit and flies out to left field.
Batter 2: Dyer with another hit, this time a solid base hit to left field.
Batter 3: henry reaches on a dying quail to right field, but Dyer, unsure of whether the ball would drop for a hit), can't advance to third. Runners on first and second.
Batter 4: Prince grounds sharply to the third baseman, who steps on the bag and the fires the ball across the infield for a double play. Dyer's inability to advane to third comes back to haunt the Green Wave. Inning over.
Third Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Ho-hum groundout by No. 8 hitter McGuiggan.
Batter 2: Pop-up by shortstop Garcia. Two easy outs for Hunt.
Batter 3: Ty Rubio finally gets Illinois-Chcago its first hit of the game. However, someone forgot to tell Rubio that the baselines are slippery, which means base runners are prone to over-sliding. Sure enough, Rubio over-slides and gets tagged out. Inning over.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: McFadden strikes out swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
Batter 2: Scelfo draws a walk.
Batter 3: Scelfo gets caught stealing on a perfect throw by Coddington. Segudin flies out to end the inning. Illinois-Chicago pitcher Grant Kohlstaedt has thrown a heck of a game, but his defense has let him down so far.
Second Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Ground out by cleanup hitter Brent Schaeffer. Close call, but it looked like Tulane got the benefit of the doubt again.
Batter 2: Hunt hits catcher Kevin Coddington. Second baserunner of the game.
Batter 3: Jason Ganek strikes out on a 2-2 pitch. Hunt is throwing high 90s right now.
Batter 4: Andy Leonard strikes out as well. It's going to be a long night for Illinois-Chicago if they continue to hit like this.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Jared Dyer crushes a fastball inside to notch the first home run in Turchin-Greer history! 4-0 Tulane
Batter 2: Seth Henry hits a sharp grounder to the shortstop Garcia, who was playing too deep to make a play. That's three infield hits for Tulane.
Batter 3: Henry steals second, then heads to third after a bad throw by the catcher. But Allain strikes out with a man on third and only one out.
Batter 4: Honeck gets robbed of an RBI on a great play by the second baseman. Inning over.
First Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Hunt strikes out outfielder Ty Rubio on a questionable third strike to start the game. Nothing like a little home cookin' to christen Turchin-Greer.
Batter 2: Strike 'em out, throw 'em out. Hunt looks jittery, but sharp
Batter 3: Hunt walks arguably ICU's best hitter, left fielder Chris Rutta. Green Wave catcher Jared Dyer goes out to calm Hunt down.
Batter 4: Rutta gets picked off by Hunt. Why was he even thinking of stealing (four steals all last year)? Inning over.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Texas transfer Josh Prince records the first hit in Turchin-Greer history, a weak grounder to the shortstop, who had no play.
Batter 2: Allain bounces one over the pitcher's head. The shortstop, Rafael Garcia, drew first baseman Tony Altavilla off the bag (another instance of "home cookin').
Batter 3: Honeck strikes out on an off-speed pitch, certainly not what you want with runners on first and second.ONE OUT
Batter 4: The runners execute a double stealm but McFadden walks anyway. BASES LOADED
Batter 5: Altavilla bobbles what could have been a 3-6-3 double play. Scelfo is still out, but McFadden and Allain advance while Prince scores. 1-0 Tulane
Batter 6: Another bad play by Altavilla on a grounder by Segudin scores both runners. Segudin andvances to second as the outfielder tries to throw out McFadden at the plate. 3-0 Tulane
Batter 7: Barto fouls out to, of all people, Altavilla, to end the inning. Terrible fielding by the ICU led to all three runs.
Pregame
It's opening night here at Turchin. My apologies for being late with the blog, as even the distinguished members of the media such as myself had trouble finding their seats. The game began with fireworks...literally. Tulane Athletics sponsored a surprise fireworks show over the outfield fence to begin the game.
The bad news is people are getting ticketed $75 for parking on the neutral ground on Claiborne. In addition, the scoreboard operators are having trouble tonight (can't fault them for that, although the operator keeps asking everyone in the press box: "Does anyone have a manual for this thing?").
Quotes and analysis to follow this weekend.
Ninth Inning
Top Half
The Green Wave is three outs away from winning its season opener. Closer Mason Griffin, a right-handed submariner with a great breaking ball.
Batter 1: After Rubio works the count to 1-1, the Flames pull him and put in Devin Melecio to throw off Griffin. The bizarre move doesn't pay off as Melecio hits a weak chopper to Griffin, who throws him out.
Batter 2: Altavilla, bewildered by Grffin's breaking ball, swings wildly at one way off the plate for the second out.
Batter 3: Rutto grounds out to the third baseman. Game Over.
Eighth Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: With Trey Martin pitching for the Green Wave, Ganek grounds out to start the inning.
Batter 2: Infielder Andy Leonard singles to the right field gap but can't turn it into two.
Batter 3: Mcguiggan fouls out to the right field bullpen area.
Batter 4: Garcia grounds into a force out to end the inning.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Adam Worthington now in to pitch for the Flames. Barto leads off the inning by grounding out to the shortstop.
Batter 2: Jared Dyer, looking for the first four-hit game of his career, works the count to 2-2, then fouls off about six pitches before striking out on a pitch in the dirt. Two outs.
Batter 3: Henry pops up to end the inning. Looks like Mason Griffin will come in to close out the game for the Green Wave.
Seventh Inning
Top Half
Shooter Hunt has left the game. His line: 6.0 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 8 strikeouts
Batter 1: Another dribbler in front of the catcher, another great play by Dyer. He's the MVP of the game so far.
Batter 2: Schaffer grounds out to the second baseman Henry. Two outs.
Batter 3: Yet another dribbler in front of Dyer, who tosses it to first base to end the inning.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Righty Chris Kovacevich comes in for Phillis and gets off to a good start by striking out McFadden.
Batter 2: Scelfo hits a blooper to the second baseman. Two quick outs.
Batter 3: Segedin hits a sharp grounder to the third baseman, who throws him out. Inning over.
Sixth Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Garcia grounds out to Segedin for the first out. Tulane's defense has been outstanding so far.
Batter 2: Rubio grounds out to Segedin. Hunt is starting to pitch to contact more as the game wears on.
Batter 3: Altavilla dribbles a ball three feet in front of the catcher, Dyer, who promptly throws him out to end the inning.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: With the count full, Segedin smashes a ball throught the left side of the infield. Flames starter Grant Kohlstaedt looks vulnerable right now. I predict at least a run this inning.
Batter 2: On a 2-2 pitch, Barto makes contact on an off-speed pitch low and away and drives through the left side of the infield for a hit. The Green Wave hitters continue to take Kohlsteadt deep into counts. Runners on first and second, no outs.
Batter 3: After trying to bunt the runners over on the first pitch, Dyer gets a hit to load the bases. Kohlsteadt gets yanked by Flames coach Mike Dee, who brings in left hander Don Phillis to face Seth Henry, who usually struggles against southpaws. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict three runs this inning instead of one.
Batter 4: Henry hits a line drive down the left field line, but it lands foul. He strikes out on the next pitch. Bases still loaded, one out.
Batter 5: After telling everyone i the press box that the next pitch would be a hit, Prince sure enough dribbles one to the third baseman, than beats out the throw to make me look like a genious. 5-0 Tulane
Batter 6: Phillis, the Flames' reliever, stops a sharp grounder at his legs. With an easy force-out available at home plate, he unexplicably throws the ball to first, allowing the run to score. Runners on second and third, two outs. 6-0 Tulane.
Batter 7: Strikeout
Fifth Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Jason Ganek strikes out looking. That's seven strikeouts for Hunt, who hasn't shown signs of slowing down yet.
Batter 2: Leonard strikes out looking. Eight strikeouts now.
Batter 3: McGuiggan successfully bunts his way on base, then gets caught stealing to end the inning. Inning over.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Allain strikes out swinging.
Batter 2: Honeck gets under a pitch and flies out to center field. Two outs
Batter 3: McFadden beats out a throw to first on a routine grounder. The scorekeeper rules it as an error.Surpringly, that's only three for the game by the Flames despite all the mistakes they've made in the field.
Batter 4: Scelfo looks like he had a pitch to hit, but gets under the ball slightly. The ball lands just shy of the warning track.Inning over.
Thoughts so far:
Both pitchers look great so far. The difference has been Illinois-Chicago's poor defense.
Fourth inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Altavilla gets a hit to lead off the inning. It's the least he could do for botching at least three plays in the field.
Batter 2: Schaefer strikes out.
Batter 3: Coddington gets caught looking to end the inning. Hunt
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Barto makes great contact, but gets under the pitch a little bit and flies out to left field.
Batter 2: Dyer with another hit, this time a solid base hit to left field.
Batter 3: henry reaches on a dying quail to right field, but Dyer, unsure of whether the ball would drop for a hit), can't advance to third. Runners on first and second.
Batter 4: Prince grounds sharply to the third baseman, who steps on the bag and the fires the ball across the infield for a double play. Dyer's inability to advane to third comes back to haunt the Green Wave. Inning over.
Third Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Ho-hum groundout by No. 8 hitter McGuiggan.
Batter 2: Pop-up by shortstop Garcia. Two easy outs for Hunt.
Batter 3: Ty Rubio finally gets Illinois-Chcago its first hit of the game. However, someone forgot to tell Rubio that the baselines are slippery, which means base runners are prone to over-sliding. Sure enough, Rubio over-slides and gets tagged out. Inning over.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: McFadden strikes out swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
Batter 2: Scelfo draws a walk.
Batter 3: Scelfo gets caught stealing on a perfect throw by Coddington. Segudin flies out to end the inning. Illinois-Chicago pitcher Grant Kohlstaedt has thrown a heck of a game, but his defense has let him down so far.
Second Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Ground out by cleanup hitter Brent Schaeffer. Close call, but it looked like Tulane got the benefit of the doubt again.
Batter 2: Hunt hits catcher Kevin Coddington. Second baserunner of the game.
Batter 3: Jason Ganek strikes out on a 2-2 pitch. Hunt is throwing high 90s right now.
Batter 4: Andy Leonard strikes out as well. It's going to be a long night for Illinois-Chicago if they continue to hit like this.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Jared Dyer crushes a fastball inside to notch the first home run in Turchin-Greer history! 4-0 Tulane
Batter 2: Seth Henry hits a sharp grounder to the shortstop Garcia, who was playing too deep to make a play. That's three infield hits for Tulane.
Batter 3: Henry steals second, then heads to third after a bad throw by the catcher. But Allain strikes out with a man on third and only one out.
Batter 4: Honeck gets robbed of an RBI on a great play by the second baseman. Inning over.
First Inning
Top Half
Batter 1: Hunt strikes out outfielder Ty Rubio on a questionable third strike to start the game. Nothing like a little home cookin' to christen Turchin-Greer.
Batter 2: Strike 'em out, throw 'em out. Hunt looks jittery, but sharp
Batter 3: Hunt walks arguably ICU's best hitter, left fielder Chris Rutta. Green Wave catcher Jared Dyer goes out to calm Hunt down.
Batter 4: Rutta gets picked off by Hunt. Why was he even thinking of stealing (four steals all last year)? Inning over.
Bottom Half
Batter 1: Texas transfer Josh Prince records the first hit in Turchin-Greer history, a weak grounder to the shortstop, who had no play.
Batter 2: Allain bounces one over the pitcher's head. The shortstop, Rafael Garcia, drew first baseman Tony Altavilla off the bag (another instance of "home cookin').
Batter 3: Honeck strikes out on an off-speed pitch, certainly not what you want with runners on first and second.ONE OUT
Batter 4: The runners execute a double stealm but McFadden walks anyway. BASES LOADED
Batter 5: Altavilla bobbles what could have been a 3-6-3 double play. Scelfo is still out, but McFadden and Allain advance while Prince scores. 1-0 Tulane
Batter 6: Another bad play by Altavilla on a grounder by Segudin scores both runners. Segudin andvances to second as the outfielder tries to throw out McFadden at the plate. 3-0 Tulane
Batter 7: Barto fouls out to, of all people, Altavilla, to end the inning. Terrible fielding by the ICU led to all three runs.
Pregame
It's opening night here at Turchin. My apologies for being late with the blog, as even the distinguished members of the media such as myself had trouble finding their seats. The game began with fireworks...literally. Tulane Athletics sponsored a surprise fireworks show over the outfield fence to begin the game.
The bad news is people are getting ticketed $75 for parking on the neutral ground on Claiborne. In addition, the scoreboard operators are having trouble tonight (can't fault them for that, although the operator keeps asking everyone in the press box: "Does anyone have a manual for this thing?").
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tulane, Shooter Hunt, Preparing for Baseball Opener
As the Green Wave gets ready for its season opener against Illinois-Chicago, Shooter Hunt managed to answer a few questions for The Hullaballoo.
On if the team has scouted Illinois-Chicago yet..
Not so much yet, we probably won't get down to that until Wednesday or Thursday, we have a good idea though, they were in the [NCAA] Tournament last year.
On the Illinois-Chicago team this year...
They usually win their league from what I am told, so I mean it's a good squad. They are coming down from the north so it will be warm weather, I am sure they are all pumped about that. It will be a good test for us.
On starting the first game of the season in brand new Turchin Stadium...
I am sure the butterflies will be swimming around, but thats good too. As long as you channel the right energy, you feed off of that for a long time hopefully. And we all will.
On what he will do for pre-game...
Pre-game will be the same thing I always do. I try to stay as calm as I can. Which will be tougher with the hoopla going around, but I am sure it will be fine.
On the team approach to the beginning of the season...
[We are] just getting back her and trying to go all-out. We have really been concentrating on putting full effort at all times and we have got something to prove this year so it's our first chance to show everybody what we are all about.
On whether he will try to change his approach as a pitcher at all this year...
I don't think so. I still have the same approach as always, just try to go out there and try to give out team the best chance of winning. However that is going to be, is what I am going to do. Wether I am cheering on the side and somebody else has to go in of if I am going the whole way.
On team defense...
I think the defense has done great. I mean I am not jinxing them, but they played great this fall and spring so far.
On if the team has scouted Illinois-Chicago yet..
Not so much yet, we probably won't get down to that until Wednesday or Thursday, we have a good idea though, they were in the [NCAA] Tournament last year.
On the Illinois-Chicago team this year...
They usually win their league from what I am told, so I mean it's a good squad. They are coming down from the north so it will be warm weather, I am sure they are all pumped about that. It will be a good test for us.
On starting the first game of the season in brand new Turchin Stadium...
I am sure the butterflies will be swimming around, but thats good too. As long as you channel the right energy, you feed off of that for a long time hopefully. And we all will.
On what he will do for pre-game...
Pre-game will be the same thing I always do. I try to stay as calm as I can. Which will be tougher with the hoopla going around, but I am sure it will be fine.
On the team approach to the beginning of the season...
[We are] just getting back her and trying to go all-out. We have really been concentrating on putting full effort at all times and we have got something to prove this year so it's our first chance to show everybody what we are all about.
On whether he will try to change his approach as a pitcher at all this year...
I don't think so. I still have the same approach as always, just try to go out there and try to give out team the best chance of winning. However that is going to be, is what I am going to do. Wether I am cheering on the side and somebody else has to go in of if I am going the whole way.
On team defense...
I think the defense has done great. I mean I am not jinxing them, but they played great this fall and spring so far.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Memphis vs. Tulane Postgame
Head Coach Dave Dickerson
"We just got beat by the best team in the country. It's a difficult loss but you have to put it in context."
"I thought we played hard for 40 minutes. This is tough for us because it's fourth straight loss and we have to find a way to get a win."
"Memphis' confidence is the most impressive part of their team. They weren't rattled by the amazing support from the students and fans we got tonight."
"Memphis has some of the best players in the country. The score says we lost by 26 points but we also played well. The big thing is that we have to get this loss out of our system."
Tulane forward David Gomez
"Their athleticism and size is definitely a factor but I don't really think it took that much away from us that we couldn't do anything about it."
Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts
"Tulane came out and gave us their best shot. We were a little deeper which got us over the hump."
On his big scoring night
"I didn't do anything different tonight, just came out aggressive the whole game."
On phenom Derrick Rose
"He's still a freshman, 18 years old, we're not expecting him to come out every night and carry us."
On their undefeated run
"We're taking it one game at a time. We don't pay attention to all of the streaks that we have going."
Memphis coach John Calipari
"Our plan was to pressure early. I was really, really worried about this game against Tulane. The distraction of Tennessee and the way it's been hyped up so far really worried me."
"Tulane scored on us at will inside. We have to play better than that against Tennessee."
"We just got beat by the best team in the country. It's a difficult loss but you have to put it in context."
"I thought we played hard for 40 minutes. This is tough for us because it's fourth straight loss and we have to find a way to get a win."
"Memphis' confidence is the most impressive part of their team. They weren't rattled by the amazing support from the students and fans we got tonight."
"Memphis has some of the best players in the country. The score says we lost by 26 points but we also played well. The big thing is that we have to get this loss out of our system."
Tulane forward David Gomez
"Their athleticism and size is definitely a factor but I don't really think it took that much away from us that we couldn't do anything about it."
Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts
"Tulane came out and gave us their best shot. We were a little deeper which got us over the hump."
On his big scoring night
"I didn't do anything different tonight, just came out aggressive the whole game."
On phenom Derrick Rose
"He's still a freshman, 18 years old, we're not expecting him to come out every night and carry us."
On their undefeated run
"We're taking it one game at a time. We don't pay attention to all of the streaks that we have going."
Memphis coach John Calipari
"Our plan was to pressure early. I was really, really worried about this game against Tulane. The distraction of Tennessee and the way it's been hyped up so far really worried me."
"Tulane scored on us at will inside. We have to play better than that against Tennessee."
Second Half: Tulane vs. Memphis
Note (2/22/08): The final stats can be found here.
FINAL: Memphis 97, Tulane 71
Post-game thoughts and analysis to follow. Until then, enjoy this lovely picture
0:00 Tigers guard Jeff Robinson misses a break-away dunk to end the game, drawing laughter from the crowd. Hey, at least the fans leave happy.
0:39 Gomez leaves the game to a chorus of golf claps. This might have been the best game of his college career, although the stat sheet might not show it. He exits with 23 points and five rebounds.
3:13 The goal for Tulane is to get the game under 25 points. Meanwhile, the Memphis bench continues to play like this is an NCAA tournament game. 95- 68 Tigers.
6:32 Delay-of-game technical called on Donnie Stith. Pretty strange call if you ask me. Crowd is beginning to get anxious with the calls.
6:43 Calipari will probably rest Douglas-Roberts for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, Tulane continues to miss free throws (I apologize for being redundant). 81-57 Memphis.
8:20. As the Memphis bench continues to dominate Tulane's starters, the crowd chants "overrated." Really?
10:00 Most of the crowd begins to leave. Who could blame them? The problem at this point is Tulane's dejected play and lack of energy. Meanwhile, the Memphis reserves are starting to pour it on.
11:16 The technical foul certainly woke up the Tigers players, who look more aggressive. Calipari takes advantage of the surge in energy by calling for a full court press. Meanwhile, Douglas-Roberts scores again. He has 29 for the game. 72-48 Memphis
11:55 Technical Foul on Joey Dorsey for jawing with a referee. Of course, Sims makes only one of two shots, and Tulane follows by inbounding the ball to Dorsey, who finishes the play with a dunk and a foul.
12:06 Chris Douglas Roberts exits the game for now. The Green Wave continues to shoot itself in the foot with missed free throws (shooting at a 50%) and poor rebounding. The ball seems to be avoiding the bottom of the net on layups as well, while the Tigers continue to gets easy shots.
13:57 Tulane finally makes its first three (sims from the corner). Memphis follows with an easy dunk. But the Green Wave respond from the outside again. But Memphis follows with a jumper. (Do you see a trend here?) 62-43 Memphis.
15:53 The Tulane fans are desperate for some sort of run, but other than Gomez (17) and Louisme, no Tulane players have been able to score more than a few buckets.
17:36 The pace has picked up in the second half. Calipari ordered a full court press, but Tulane seemed to have expected it. Still, the Green Wave continue to put up bad shots.Douglas-Roberts continues his hot shooting while Tulane has yet to make a three pointer. 54-31 Memphis (or, for those looking for a close game, Chris Douglas-Roberts 25, Tulane 31)
Another stat to consider: Tulane has yet to hit a shot from beyond 15 feet.
FINAL: Memphis 97, Tulane 71
Post-game thoughts and analysis to follow. Until then, enjoy this lovely picture
0:00 Tigers guard Jeff Robinson misses a break-away dunk to end the game, drawing laughter from the crowd. Hey, at least the fans leave happy.
0:39 Gomez leaves the game to a chorus of golf claps. This might have been the best game of his college career, although the stat sheet might not show it. He exits with 23 points and five rebounds.
3:13 The goal for Tulane is to get the game under 25 points. Meanwhile, the Memphis bench continues to play like this is an NCAA tournament game. 95- 68 Tigers.
6:32 Delay-of-game technical called on Donnie Stith. Pretty strange call if you ask me. Crowd is beginning to get anxious with the calls.
6:43 Calipari will probably rest Douglas-Roberts for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, Tulane continues to miss free throws (I apologize for being redundant). 81-57 Memphis.
8:20. As the Memphis bench continues to dominate Tulane's starters, the crowd chants "overrated." Really?
10:00 Most of the crowd begins to leave. Who could blame them? The problem at this point is Tulane's dejected play and lack of energy. Meanwhile, the Memphis reserves are starting to pour it on.
11:16 The technical foul certainly woke up the Tigers players, who look more aggressive. Calipari takes advantage of the surge in energy by calling for a full court press. Meanwhile, Douglas-Roberts scores again. He has 29 for the game. 72-48 Memphis
11:55 Technical Foul on Joey Dorsey for jawing with a referee. Of course, Sims makes only one of two shots, and Tulane follows by inbounding the ball to Dorsey, who finishes the play with a dunk and a foul.
12:06 Chris Douglas Roberts exits the game for now. The Green Wave continues to shoot itself in the foot with missed free throws (shooting at a 50%) and poor rebounding. The ball seems to be avoiding the bottom of the net on layups as well, while the Tigers continue to gets easy shots.
13:57 Tulane finally makes its first three (sims from the corner). Memphis follows with an easy dunk. But the Green Wave respond from the outside again. But Memphis follows with a jumper. (Do you see a trend here?) 62-43 Memphis.
15:53 The Tulane fans are desperate for some sort of run, but other than Gomez (17) and Louisme, no Tulane players have been able to score more than a few buckets.
17:36 The pace has picked up in the second half. Calipari ordered a full court press, but Tulane seemed to have expected it. Still, the Green Wave continue to put up bad shots.Douglas-Roberts continues his hot shooting while Tulane has yet to make a three pointer. 54-31 Memphis (or, for those looking for a close game, Chris Douglas-Roberts 25, Tulane 31)
Another stat to consider: Tulane has yet to hit a shot from beyond 15 feet.
First Half: Tulane vs. Memphis
Halftime score: Memphis 46, Tulane 26.
0:00 The last sequence of the half epitomizes this game so far. Tulane, hoping to get the last shot of the half off, turns the ball over on a bad pass by SIms into the back court. Memphis follows with a tip-in rebound at the buzzer.
2:07 memphis goes on one of its patented runs, scoring six points in about 30 seconds courtesy of an alley-oop dunk and two quick shots off turnovers. Three big issues for the Green Wave so far: rebounding, turnovers, and CHris Douglas-Roberts (20 points, 4 rebounds in 16 minutes).
3:53 Dickerson wisely switches to a 2-3 zone to stop penetration. As a result, Tulane forces a turnover and two long three pointers over a span of two minutes. Memphis coach John Calipari calls a timeout. 37-25 memphis.
5:04 This game is beginning to get out of hand. Gomez was taken out of the game for two minutes, and the Tigers shut out Tulane over that span. The story of the game so far has been Memphis' defense on everyone but Gomez and Tulane's rebounding and turnover woes. 37-21 Memphis.
8:09 While Memphis struggles to hit from the outside, Tulane continues to get manhandled on the board. Still, David Gomez is playing the best game of his collegiate career so far, but someone else will need to step up on the boards to prevent an embarrassment.
10:34 As David Gomez goes to the free throw line once again, I want to point out the defense of Memphis guard Derrick Rose. While the freshman may not have any steals, he has really tired Kevin Sims with his ball pressure. Considering Tulane's lack of a true point guard, that may be something to watch.
11:54 The only thing more active tonight than David Gomez (7 points) is the whistle of the baseline official. Tulane already has five personal fouls called against them, and Memphis has three. Of course, a free throw contest wouldn't be the worst for Tulane. Memphis is one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation.
14:28 Tulane is staying in this game with great feeds inside to Gomez and Louisme. Dozier, after being taken out earlier, is immediately put into the game after Gomez gets a good look. 14-7 Memphis
15:19 10-4 Memphis after a Douglas-Roberts three pointer. The big problem so far is Tulane's turnovers and Memphis' physicality inside. If the latter continues, this game will get out of hand over very quickly.
16:00 The timeout seemed to have calmed the Green Wave down. Louisme got a good layup inside and Gomez had another. Still, the fgollowing possession results in a five second violation
17:58 It took Tulane 2 minutes to call its first timeout. The team looks sloppy on offense and unable to get any stops on defense.
19:02 The Tigers have gone inside twice to Joey Dorsey to start the game. I suppose the strategy is to get Louisme and Gomez in foul trouble. 4-2 Memphis.
Please note that tonight's game will be aired on CSTV. An online feed can be found at channelsurfing.net.
0:00 The last sequence of the half epitomizes this game so far. Tulane, hoping to get the last shot of the half off, turns the ball over on a bad pass by SIms into the back court. Memphis follows with a tip-in rebound at the buzzer.
2:07 memphis goes on one of its patented runs, scoring six points in about 30 seconds courtesy of an alley-oop dunk and two quick shots off turnovers. Three big issues for the Green Wave so far: rebounding, turnovers, and CHris Douglas-Roberts (20 points, 4 rebounds in 16 minutes).
3:53 Dickerson wisely switches to a 2-3 zone to stop penetration. As a result, Tulane forces a turnover and two long three pointers over a span of two minutes. Memphis coach John Calipari calls a timeout. 37-25 memphis.
5:04 This game is beginning to get out of hand. Gomez was taken out of the game for two minutes, and the Tigers shut out Tulane over that span. The story of the game so far has been Memphis' defense on everyone but Gomez and Tulane's rebounding and turnover woes. 37-21 Memphis.
8:09 While Memphis struggles to hit from the outside, Tulane continues to get manhandled on the board. Still, David Gomez is playing the best game of his collegiate career so far, but someone else will need to step up on the boards to prevent an embarrassment.
10:34 As David Gomez goes to the free throw line once again, I want to point out the defense of Memphis guard Derrick Rose. While the freshman may not have any steals, he has really tired Kevin Sims with his ball pressure. Considering Tulane's lack of a true point guard, that may be something to watch.
11:54 The only thing more active tonight than David Gomez (7 points) is the whistle of the baseline official. Tulane already has five personal fouls called against them, and Memphis has three. Of course, a free throw contest wouldn't be the worst for Tulane. Memphis is one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation.
14:28 Tulane is staying in this game with great feeds inside to Gomez and Louisme. Dozier, after being taken out earlier, is immediately put into the game after Gomez gets a good look. 14-7 Memphis
15:19 10-4 Memphis after a Douglas-Roberts three pointer. The big problem so far is Tulane's turnovers and Memphis' physicality inside. If the latter continues, this game will get out of hand over very quickly.
16:00 The timeout seemed to have calmed the Green Wave down. Louisme got a good layup inside and Gomez had another. Still, the fgollowing possession results in a five second violation
17:58 It took Tulane 2 minutes to call its first timeout. The team looks sloppy on offense and unable to get any stops on defense.
19:02 The Tigers have gone inside twice to Joey Dorsey to start the game. I suppose the strategy is to get Louisme and Gomez in foul trouble. 4-2 Memphis.
Please note that tonight's game will be aired on CSTV. An online feed can be found at channelsurfing.net.
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