Distracted Tulane Puts Away Tougaloo, 84-72

The Tulane men's basketball team should have won this game going away. They did. Tougaloo College out of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, one that includes Dillard and SUNO its ranks, was no match for the quicker, more physical Green Wave, as Green Wave coach Ron Hunter's group prevailed 84-72.

"We were still in finals, mentally," a frustrated Hunter said, referring to this week being exam week for his players. "You make a decision, (about) playing games during finals, or not play games. Mentally, we weren't sharp today."

The Green Wave started hot from three-point range, cooling off a bit in the 2nd half, but still hitting 10-of-their-30 shots from three-point land. The Wave was solid as always from the charity stripe, hitting 18-of-24 from the free throw line.

Four Wave players hit the double-digit mark, led by Rowan Brumbaugh's 22, followed by Asher Woods' 17, then Scotty Middleton's 14, and Curtis Williams Jr.'s 11. Woods hit the 1,000 career points in his Tulane career during the game.

"Not everybody gets to do (that)," Woods expounded. "I am really, really thankful and have an attitude of gratitude about it."

Middleton found his three-point range early on, going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. Most importantly, his 12-rebounds led the team, along with his early steals at the point of the defensive frontcourt. The junior forward says it was his defense that led to his good offensive night.

"Good defense turns into offense," Middleton shared with us. "Him (coach Hunter) wanting me to be more aggressive, trust in my instincts more, and I think it helps the team, me being more aggressive. Whatever I have to do to help the team, that's what I'm going to do."

Hunter told us he has seen improvement in almost every game. "There's been times in games where we looked like world beaters," Hunter explained. "and there's been other times where it seems like we've never seen a basketball before. Even in this game, we get a 8-10-point lead, then we miss seven, eight shots, wide open shots, not making them. Our bugaboo is when we don't make shots, we let is affect us."

Hunter says he just has to persevere. "One of the hardest things for me to do, even in life, is just continue to be patient with it. Understand you have a good group and be patient and it all comes together, it'll come together."

Tulane is off until Saturday, when they'll be in Las Vegas for the Jack Jones Classic. The Wave will play UC-San Diego at 11:00 p.m. CST. Then, it's back home for two straight games before the Christmas holidays.