Nov. 1, 2007

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NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane women's basketball team was challenged in its 2007-08 exhibition opener by the Houston Jaguars club team, but a 19-0 run late in the second half helped the Wave emerge with a 88-71 victory Thursday night. In her Green Wave debut, redshirt freshman Brittany Lindsey scored 17 points. Barbara Turner (Connecticut, 2006) led the Jaguars with 21 points.

Junior point guard Ashley Langford handed out 10 assists to go with 11 points for the double-double. Senior forward Dominique Philpots added 11 points and six boards, while senior guard Nikki Luckhurst chipped in 11 points on a trio of three-pointers.

Down 63-60 with 7:16 remaining, the Green Wave used a 19-0 run over 4:59 to seize control of the game, and coast to the finish by outscoring Houston 28-8 in the final 7:16.

Lindsey connected on eight of her 13 shots and added four rebounds and a blocked shot. Langford, Luckhurst and Philpots each finished four-for-eight from the field.

"We wanted to play everybody, and use our entire roster," head coach Lisa Stockton said. "But I think the fact that we were down early really helped us more than a traditional exhibition game. They put a very good team on the court tonight with Barbara and Lakethia [Hampton]."

Turner, who won two national championships with UConn, teamed with former Green Wave post player Lakethia Hampton to form a formidable front court for the Jaguars. Hampton, Tulane's 18th all-time leading scorer with 1,053 points (2001-05), finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Jaguars led through out most of the first half, with a 41-37 lead at the half, but the Green Wave pulled away late in the second half, outscoring the Jaguars 51-30 in the second.

Luckhurst nailed a three with 17:45 to go in the second to give Tulane a 46-45 lead, as the two teams battled to a 59-59 tie before the Wave embarked on its 19-0 run.

Freshmen Tiffany Aidoo, Roshaunda Barnes, Caitlin Cleveland and Kiara Slaton made their Tulane debuts with Aidoo springing for nine points. Slaton added seven points, while Cleveland recorded two blocks and four points and Barnes chipping in four points and a pair of assists.

Every member of the Green Wave scored as Tulane shot 51 percent in the second half, and 47 percent for the game.

The Green Wave, the defending Conference USA regular season champions, open the regular season on Saturday, November 10, at Alabama. Tulane's home opener is November 13 at Fogelman Arena against Georgia Tech.

The Jaguars were comprised of: Hampton, Turner, Shanta Johnson (Stephen F. Austin), Krystal Frazier (Rice), Brady Gilford (Texas Southern), Nicole Duncan (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), Brittany White (West Virginia), Wendy Young (Arkansas-Monticello), Britni Robertson (Jarvis Christian), and Keomona Harris (Houston).