Tulane battles but falls short at UCF, 53-49

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane men’s basketball team led by as many as eight points in the second half, but cold shooting down the stretch allowed UCF to close the gap and hold on for a 53-49 American Athletic Conference win Friday evening at Addition Financial Arena.

Jaylen Forbes and Jordan Walker led the Green Wave (8-8, 3-8 AAC) with 14 points each, as Forbes grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and Walker handed out five assists.

Tulane scored the first three baskets to open an early 6-0 lead, but UCF (6-10, 4-9 AAC) punched back with a 13-3 scoring run capped by the second of five first-half 3-pointers by Darin Green Jr., with 13:17 remaining in the first half.

The Knights extended their lead to as many as eight, 24-16, at the 8:18 mark, but the Green Wave forced a series of turnovers at the defensive end to set up an array of three-point scoring possessions. Forbes converted a three-point play with 4:15 to go before Walker made a trey at the 1:18 mark to give the Wave a 27-26 edge.

Walker completed the 14-5 scoring run to close the half with an acrobatic three-point play with 3.5 second remaining to send Tulane into halftime with a 30-29 lead.

The Green Wave outscored the opposition, 13-2, off turnovers and shot 12-of-30 (.400) from the field, 3-of-9 (.333) beyond the arc and 3-of-4 (.750) at the free throw line in the first half. The Knights committed 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and went 11-of-26 (.423) from the floor and 7-of-13 (.538) from outside despite not attempting one free throw.

Despite a 3-pointer by UCF, Tulane scored eight straight points capped by a Gabe Watson 3-pointer to create a 38-32 lead and force the home team to call a timeout with 16:02 to go. The Green Wave held the Knights scoreless for over five minutes until a basket with 14:11 remaining.

Leading by five, Tulane’s offense went through a cold spell that allowed UCF to score eight straight points as part of a 13-2 run to take back the lead, 45-42, with just under nine minutes left.

The Wave’s scoring drought lasted over five minutes until Walker connected on his second trey of the night with 5:48 left to pull back within a pair, 47-45. Two free throws by Walker tied the game just 42 seconds later, but turnovers on back-to-back subsequent possessions led to UCF baskets with 3:28 left.

Tulane’s offense couldn’t get much going in the final three minutes despite a strong defensive effort, as the Knights closed out the four-point win.

Green Jr. led UCF with a game-high 18 points and made six 3-pointers, while Darius Perry chipped in 14 points.

The Green Wave finished the night shooting 18-of-57 (.316) overall and 5-of-21 (.222) from outside, as UCF went 21-of-53 (.396) overall and 10-of-25 (.400) from deep.

Up next, Tulane plays its third straight game on the road at USF on Sunday, February 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT) at the Yuengling Center and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

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