Jan. 15, 2008

Tulane Game Notes vs. Tulsa

NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane Green Wave will look to snap a two-game skid in Conference USA play when it battles the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at the Donald W. Reynolds Center live nationally on College Sports Television (CSTV) (Cox Cable Channel 315 in New Orleans) this Wednesday at 8 p.m. Carter Blackburn will describe the action, while Pete Gillen will provide color analysis.

Both teams are coming off losses and each team is looking to pick up its first league win of the year. The Green Wave (10-6, 0-2 C-USA) dropped its first two outings of the conference season (UAB, Southern Miss), while the Golden Hurricane fell in three overtime periods to UCF (97-91) last week in its 2008 C-USA opener.

Tulane is 7-3 in its last 10 games, but has a mark of 1-3 away from home, and is currently 0-3 in its last three road contests. The Wave's lone win on an opponents' home court this season was at Charleston Southern (66-60) on Nov. 12, 2007. Prior to its back-to-back losses, Tulane had won seven out of eight, including four straight at one point.

For the year, Tulane is averaging 68.2 points and 35 rebounds per game and is shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 33.2 percent from behind the three-point line and 74.4 percent from the free-throw line.

David Gomez is one of three Green Wave players scoring in double figures with 13.4 points per game, while Kevin Sims and Robinson Louisme are second and third with 12.2 and 10.6 points per outing, respectively. Gomez is also the team's top rebounder with 6.1 boards per game, while Sims leads the squad in assists and steals with 4.0 and 1.7 per contest, respectively.

Tulsa (8-5, 0-1 C-USA) was picked to finish fifth according to the Conference USA preseason coaches poll even though the Wave earned the tie-breaker in a fourth-place tie between the teams last season, and a win over the Hurricane in C-USA Tournament.

Tulsa opened the year with a 2-3 record, but reeled off six straight wins before being upended by UCF last week. The Golden Hurricane is undefeated at home this season with a perfect 6-0 mark, and boasts a 21-3 mark on its home floor over the last two seasons. Tulane will mark Tulsa's conference home opener.

The Hurricane is averaging 73.2 points and 37.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 45.4 percent from the field, including 37.2 percent from behind the three-point line, and 73.7 percent from the foul line. Sophomore Ben Uzoh is Tulsa's lone player averaging double figures with 16.7 points per game, while senior Calvin Walls is the team's top rebounder with 9.1 boards per outing.

Wednesday's game marks the seventh all-time meeting between Tulane and Tulsa, and the Golden Hurricane leads the series, 4-2. Although Tulane and Tulsa have met six times, the teams have only squared off three times since the Golden Hurricane became Conference USA members in 2005-06, and Tulsa has won two of three meetings.

Tulane has chalked up 10 wins through its first 16 games this season and is off to its best season in six years. The last time the Wave reached 10 wins at this point in a season was during the 2001-02 campaign with an 11-5 record.

Tulane returns to Fogelman Arena and continues Conference USA play against Rice on Saturday, January 19 at 5 p.m.