Dec. 17, 2007

Tulane-Indiana State Box Score

NEW ORLEANS- Senior David Gomez led three Green Wave players into double figures with a game-high 19 points and Tulane dispatched Indiana State, 80-68, to notch its third straight win in front of 1,157 at Fogelman Arena.

Tulane (6-3) took control of the game late and never looked back once it gained a large lead. Much of the Green Wave's success was its balanced scoring and distribution of the ball. All 10 players that saw action for TU reached the scoring column and the Wave combined for 21 assists, including a game-high from sophomore Kevin Sims. Tulane shot s miserable 11 percent from the foul line in the first half, but was electric in the second half, hitting 20-of-23 for 87 percent, which essentially was the difference in the game.

"This is probably the best game we have had in a long time of sharing the basketball," Tulane head coach Dave Dickerson said. "We really made some extra passes tonight and really looked for each other. Indiana State threw two or three different presses against us, and really in the half court they ran it like two or three defenses. Our guys stayed calm and I thought by and large for 40 minutes this was our best offensive game this year."

The contest was back-and-forth for much of the way with 10 lead changes and four ties. Much like the first half, Tulane looked solid during the first five minutes of the second period and managed to build a 10-point lead on two different occasions. TU led by three-points at the break and used a 9-2 run to take a 44-34 lead on a lay-up by Gomez in the opening moments of the second half. Indiana State stayed close and cut the lead to single digits several times, but Tulane answered the call and maintained its 10-point lead for a majority of the first 10 minutes of the period.

ISU then made a charge around the 10-minute mark when it trimmed the lead to five points, 53-48, after Marico Stinson drained a three-pointer and the Sycamore defense kept the Green Wave offense off the scoreboard for almost three minutes. Meanwhile, Isiah Martin canned a jumper to bring the visitors to within five points.

After hitting just 1-of-9 free throws in the first half, Tulane shook off its charity stripe woes and responded with six straight free throws, and maintained a nine-point advantage with 7:30 remaining. The Wave then extended its lead back to double figures on a jumper by Gomez. However, Indiana State hung tough and sliced the deficit to eight points on a Stinson trey that brought the score to 61-53.

Louisme kept TU's streak from the free-throw line intact when he knocked down a pair of attempts to make it nine straight and pushed Tulane's lead back to 10 points with just over six minutes showing on the clock. Following a pair of made free throws by ISU's Jay Tunnel, Tulane sophomore Eric Vianney was fouled on a made bucket and he cashed in the free throw for the team's 10th straight charity shot of the second half and the conventional three-point play.

The Green Wave kept its momentum going and Gomez gave the home team some breathing room when he knocked down a three-pointer to give Tulane a 71-57 lead, its largest of the game, with just over four minutes remaining.

TU's defense took over in the latter stages of the contest with several key blocks and held ISU to without a field goal for a just over a three minute stretch. By the time Moore broke the drought with a three-pointer, the Sycamores still trailed by double figures and there was just 1:52 remaining.

Indiana State did draw to within eight points when Harry Marshall was fouled on a made three-pointer and hit the free throw for a four-point play. However, Tulane used the free-throw line to stave off any comeback. The Green Wave made 14 straight from the charity stripe before missing, and finished strong in the second half with a 20-of-23 effort.

Along with Gomez, junior Robinson Louisme finished with 12 points and joined Gomez for game high rebounding honors with seven apiece. Senior Matt Wheaton chipped in 11 points to round out TU's double figure scoring leaders.

Tulane shot better than 50 percent in each half and finished with a 52.9 percent effort for the contest, while the TU defense held Indiana State to a 35.8 percent night from the field. Tulane out-rebounded the Sycamores, 39-34, and outscored its opponent in the paint, 30-18.

Stinson led four Indiana State players in double figures with 14 points, while Marshall finished with 12 points and Gabe Moore added 11 points. Martin was the fourth Sycamore to surpass double figures with 10 points.

Tulane charged out of the gates during the game's opening minutes, reeling off a 10-2 run, and forcing Indiana State to take a quick time-out. However, the Green Wave's shooting cooled and the Sycamores returned the favor with an 8-2 spurt to pull to within two points at the 13-minute mark.

ISU's Aaron Carter capped the comeback with a short jumper to tie the game at the 10:45 mark, but the tie was short-lived as senior Donnavan Stith broke free underneath for a two-handed dunk to put Tulane back into the lead, 14-12. However on the ensuing possession, Stinson drained a three-pointer to give the Sycamores its first lead of the game.

The Green Wave regained the lead when freshman Kris Richard stole a pass and threw it to Gomez as he fell out of bounds. Gomez dribbled into the lane where he was cut off, but found Richard just under the right elbow for easy jumper.

Louisme then went to work down low, drawing fouls on two of three possessions that resulted in two made buckets. But Lousime misfired on both of his first attempt for a conventional three-point play.

Moore then scored back-to-back buckets to hand the Sycamores a brief 21-20 lead, but Wheaton drained a three-pointer to put the Wave back in the lead. Moore then countered for ISU and tied the score at 23 apiece on a driving lay-up.

The teams then traded the lead for the remaining minutes until Sims tied the game at 32-32 when he made one of two free throw attempts. Indiana State then turned the ball over in the waning seconds and sophomore Eric Vianney made them pay when he sank a three-pointer from the left corner with 0:01 remaining to give the Wave a 35-32 advantage at intermission.