NEW ORLEANS – Redshirt sophomore Kryen Whittington and graduate student Dynah Jones combined for 43 points to lead Tulane University Women’s Basketball to a blowout victory over Sam Houston 90-51 on Sunday night. After trailing at the end of the first quarter, the Green Wave outscored the Bearkats 75-33 by posting more than 20 points in each of the next three quarters.
Three players scored double figures for Tulane with Whittington leading all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Jones followed closely behind with 20 points to go with five assists. Marta Galic rounded out the top scorers for the Wave as she posted her second double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Green Wave offense shared the ball extremely well as it finished with 26 assists as a team. Rachel Hakes led the way with 10 dimes to go with five points and three rebounds on the night. Seven other players added at least one assist including Kahia Warmsley and Chiara Grattini who each had three.
The first quarter began as a back-and-forth battle between the Green Wave and the Bearkats. The two teams traded buckets through the first five minutes until a 5-0 run by Tulane put the Wave ahead 11-7. Sam Houston had the final say in the frame with an 11-4 scoring run as Tulane trailed 15-18 at the end of the opening quarter.
Galic began to heat up in the second quarter helping the Wave offense put 24 points on the board on 58.8 percent shooting in the frame. The six-foot graduate student drained three-straight from downtown to spark a 12-2 run over the final four minutes of the half for Tulane to claim a 39-28 advantage at the break.
The defensive momentum from the second quarter carried into the second half for the Green Wave as it limited the Bearkats to just nine points on 20 percent shooting. Tulane finished the third quarter on a 15-2 run that was sparked by Whittington’s second triple of the night. That run pushed the Wave’s lead up to 62-37 heading into the final frame.
The offense continued to roll for Tulane in the final quarter as the Wave shot 68.8 percent in the frame to post the third consecutive quarter with more than 20 points. Jones capped her night with seven points and three assists in the closing frame as the Green Wave ended with a convincing 90-51 victory.
Up next, Tulane will head to Cancun, Mexico, for Thanksgiving to compete in the Cancun Challenge. The Green Wave will face Northern Iowa and Central Michigan in the tournament on Thursday and Friday. Both games are set to tipoff at 8 p.m. CT.
{Courtesy: Tulane Athletics}
