Daley scores 35 in 81-69 win over SMU

Grace Daley scored 35 points to lead Tulane past SMU

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Dec. 13, 1999

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La. - - All-American Grace Daley scored 35 points, including 17 of Tulane's final 23 points, as the Green Wave posted an 81-69 win over SMU at Fogelman Arena on Monday.

Tulane, ranked 24th in the latest Associated Press poll and tied for 25th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, improved to 7-0 with the win, matching the best start in school history. SMU dropped its third straight, falling to 3-3. Each of SMU's last two losses, however, have come against ranked opponents.

The Green Wave lead by as many as 20 in the second half, before SMU cut the lead to just five, 64-59, with 4:52 remaining. From there, Daley scored 13 of the Wave's final 17 points, including eight consecutive free throws with less than two minutes remaining, to hold off the Mustangs.

Daley's 35 points led all scorers, giving her back-to-back 30-point efforts. She also posted 33 points against Texas A&M last Wednesday. Daley, who was named Conference USA's Player of the Week earlier in the day, just missed out on her second consecutive double-double, adding nine rebounds to go along with three assists and two steals. Sophomore Sarah Goree posted 12 points, while Janell Burse added 10 points despite playing just three minutes in the first half due to early foul trouble. Karlin Kennedy led SMU with 13 points and 17 rebounds.

SMU jumped out to an early lead, and held a 20-13 advantage with 9:33 remaining the first half. But Tulane answered with a 26-0 run, in which seven different Green Wave players scored, to claim a 39-20 margin with 2:52 left before the half. SMU scored eight straight points before a Fabrecia Roberson jumper gave Tulane a 41-28 lead at the break.

Tulane connected on 47.6 percent of its shots for the game (30-of-63), including a 51.5 percent effort in the first half (17-of-33). SMU hit just 39.7 percent of its shots (29-of-73). Tulane held a slight 43-42 advantage in rebounding, and Tulane committed 23 turnovers to SMU's 22, but the Wave recorded 32 points off of Mustang miscues.

The Green Wave take a short break for final exams, before returning to action on Tuesday, Nov. 21 with a neutral-site game against Nicholls State in Houma.