Tulane Women's Basketball Falls Just Short in Loss to SEC Foe

The Tulane Green Wave women's basketball program (1-1) gave a tough SEC foe quite a run, but the team fell just short of victory in a 68-63 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) on Sunday afternoon. 

Though the home team fell behind 22-14 early, it never gave up, fighting back massively in the second quarter to trail just 38-36 heading into the locker room at halftime. The Green Wave continued to chip away throughout the second half, but just when the program would get close enough to push ahead, the Crimson Tide would go on a small run of its own to regain momentum. 

Tulane did manage to tie the game at 50 points apiece with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but Alabama would go on a 5-0 run to take a 55-50 lead heading into the final frame. That slim advantage would prove to be just enough, as both programs scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to end the game.

Three players scored in double-figures for Tulane. Khadee Hession led the team with 19 points while also contributing three rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals. Kanija Daniel added 17 points and four assists, and Edina Strausz recorded her first double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Ja'Kyah Smith added four assists and a team-best four steals. As a whole, the home team struggled with a shooting percentage of 27.8 percent, but it did manage to pull down 15 offensive boards.

The Green Wave's biggest strength throughout the afternoon was its tough defense. The team forced Alabama to commit 21 total turnovers, with 14 of those being defensive steals. Tulane also added six blocks and 29 defensive rebounds. Prior to Sunday's matchup, the Crimson Tide had scored at least 92 points in each of its previous matchups, with a season-high 118 points against the LSU New Orleans Privateers. Tulane found a way to slow that down immensely. 

Despite the loss, it was a statement showing for the Olive Green and Sky Blue against a tough Power Four team -- one that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. On top of that, the game aired on ESPN2, giving the program some national exposure that it typically doesn't receive. 

Up next, Tulane will welcome LSU New Orleans to Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse for a Big Easy showdown. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 12th.