Tulane closes non-conference play Friday at home against Dillard

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane University men’s basketball (8-3) will finish its non-conference slate on Friday as it plays host to Dillard (7-5) in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. With a victory the Green Wave would improve to 9-3 marking its best record entering league competition since holding a 9-3 record in the 2017-18 season.

The game between the Green Wave and the Bleu Devils is set to tipoff at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to the action live on the Tulane Sports Network from Learfield on WRNO 99.5 with the Voice of the Green Wave Corey Gloor or streaming on the Tulane Athletics App and The Varsity Network App.

This marks the sixth all-time meeting between the Green Wave and the Bleu Devils with Tulane leading the series 3-2. Tulane won the last meeting over Dillard 86-80 on February 7, 1976, in New Orleans. All five matchups between the Wave and the Bleu Devils have been played in New Orleans from 1973 to 1976.

In its last time out, Tulane dropped its first home game of the season as it came up short against George Mason 69-66 on December 22. Sion James led four players for the Green Wave in double figures with 17 points. Jaylen Forbes tallied 14 points followed by Kolby King with 12. Kevin Cross finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine boards.

At home so far this season Tulane is averaging 93.9 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the floor. The Green Wave is 6-1 in Uptown with a +15.9-scoring margin as opponents average 78.0 points on 42.1 percent shooting. The Wave also tallies an average of 17.6 assists and 10.9 steals in games played in Uptown.

The Green Wave currently leads the American Athletic Conference in scoring offense (89.4), field goal percentage (.518), free throws made per game (23.5), free throws attempted per game (31.5), and steals (10.5).

Dillard enters the matchup with a 7-5 record after dropping its last contest 81-71 at home to Tougaloo on December 15. Dillard is 2-1 so far this season on the road with its lone defeat coming against an NCAA Division I opponent – a 105-65 loss at Louisiana Tech.

The Bleu Devils are led by a pair of players averaging double figures in scoring. Tory Cargo leads the team with 15.5 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. Justin Warren averages 12.3 points per game to go with a team-high 4.3 assists per game.

Following the matchup with the Bleu Devils, the Green Wave will open AAC play at home against Rice on Wednesday, January 3. The game between the Green Wave and the Owls will tipoff at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

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