The Green Wave fell to Charlotte by a score of 74-60.
An up-and-down season for the Tulane Green Wave came to an end with a 74-60 loss to the Charlotte 49ers in the second round of the American Conference tournament on Thursday night.
At first, the program seemed to ride the momentum of its first-round victory over the Memphis Tigers. Tulane took a 20-18 lead into the locker room at halftime, as both teams had troubling offensive performances in the opening frame. While the Green Wave shot just 25-percent from the floor, Charlotte was able to connect on just 14.7-percent of its shots. Both teams found some life on offense out of the half, but one was noticeably better than the other. The 49ers went on a tear throughout the final 20 minutes of action, connecting at a 77.3-percent clip and shooting 8-for-11 from the three-point line. Charlotte would go on to outscore the lower-seeded Tulane squad by a score of 56-40 in the frame.
Rowan Brumbaugh ended a stellar season with a team-high 25 points as well as two rebounds and two assists. Asher Woods was the only other Green Wave player to score in double figures with 14 points of his own and five rebounds. Curtis Williams Jr. pulled down a team-high eight rebounds to go along with his eight points. Neither of the team's other two starters -- Tyler Ringgold and Luke Rasmussen -- recorded any points.
Percy Daniels made the most of limited minutes off the bench by contributing a little bit of everything, including six points, three assists, two rebounds and one block. Scotty Middleton and KJ Greene contributed two points each, while Jake Shapiro scored the team's final bucket of the night on a three-pointer.
To no surprise, Tulane was outmanned on the boards, as the program had just 27 rebounds to the 49ers' 44. Additionally, Charlotte had 16 assists to the Green Wave's seven. The Olive Green and Sky Blue did find a bit of success with six steals to the opponent's two, and the team only had five turnovers.
As the program heads into the offseason following another season of disappointment, there seem to be more questions than answers. Tulane has not reached the NCAA Tournament in more than three decades, and if things continue the way they are now, then there's no telling when the program will finally get over that hump. Additionally, head coach Ron Hunter's future with the program is undetermined. While there have been no official statements made regarding whether or not he will be let go, unrest has been bubbling within the fanbase. After years of the same issues on the court, it's not too far-fetched to say that Hunter's time might be coming to a close sooner rather than later.
As for the student-athletes on the team, there's a chance that many could return next season. Woods and Daniels are the only two seniors in the program who received notable playing time, and the roster is loaded with juniors and sophomores who all have picked up some valuable experience this season. The main problem will be the transfer portal; only six players on the roster have spent their entire careers at Tulane, and most are either freshmen or sophomores. While the Green Wave has found a way to pull in some talent from other schools, with a lack of results, there's a chance that some of the team's stronger players might look to thrive elsewhere.
Tulane officially ends the season with a 18-15 record, including an 8-10 mark in conference play.