Tulane’s second half surge falls short against North Texas

NEW ORLEANS – Despite shooting 62 percent in the second half Tulane University men’s basketball (13-14, 4-11) suffered its fifth consecutive loss Wednesday dropping 80-76 to North Texas (15-12, 8-7). The five-game losing streak is the longest by the Green Wave since the 2019-20 campaign.

The loss marks the first time Tulane has lost three games in a row at home since the Wave dropped five consecutive games in Uptown during the 2020-21 season.

As a team Tulane shot 46.9 percent from the field including a 62.1 percent shooting performance in the second half. The free throw line cost the Green Wave as the team shot just 67.6 percent (23-34) from the charity stripe.

Four players finished in double figures for the Wave led by the trio of Sion James, Collin Holloway, and Kevin Cross with 17 points each. James had the best performance from the free throw line connecting on 9-of-10 while adding five rebounds and a pair of steals. Holloway tallied 14 of his 17 points in the second half. Cross also led Tulane with eight boards and five assists.

The fourth player with double-digit points for the Green Wave was Jaylen Forbes with 10 including two made threes to go with a team-high three steals.

North Texas was led by five players in double figures paced by 19 points and six assists from Aaron Scott.

After Tulane scored the first bucket of the night, the Mean Green went on a 12-1 scoring run to take control of the contest. The Green Wave battled back to pull within one at 20-19 on a three-pointer by Forbes with 8:59 on the clock.

The deficit extended to 10 points for the Wave in the final minutes of the second half before Tulane hit the locker room trailing 36-27.

North Texas pushed its advantage out to 13 points early in the second half, but Tulane did not go away quietly. The Green Wave fought to eventually pull within three points at 59-56 with 7:39 remaining.

However, Tulane would not get any closer than three points down the stretch ultimately dropping the contest 80-76.

Up next, Tulane will face Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday, March 2. Tipoff between the Green Wave and the Owls is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2023-24 season can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center. Men’s basketball season tickets are available for just $75 and women’s basketball season tickets start at just $50.

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For behind-the-scenes coverage, follow Tulane men’s basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.