Tulane Green Wave Nearly Upsets Memphis Tigers in Conference Tournament
In a rematch of a close game played in January in New Orleans, the Tulane Green Wave men’s basketball team nearly got their revenge on the No. 17 Memphis Tigers.
The Green Wave, the No. 4 seed in the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament, took the No. 1-seeded Tigers down to the wire, but were unable to close the deal and lost, 78-77, in the semifinals on Saturday at Dickies Arena.
A Tulane (19-14) win would have put the Green Wave in the AAC title game on Sunday and given them a chance to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. It also would have burst someone’s bubble. Memphis (28-5) would have made the NCAA Tournament regardless of a win or loss. So, a win would have made Tulane a bid-stealer from an at-large team.
Now, the Green Wave will wait to find out if they receive an invitation to either the postseason NIT or the Crown Basketball Tournament, with the former being a more likely possibility.
Tulane had the lead, 71-70, as late as 47 seconds left in the game after a Rowan Brumbaugh layup. But Memphis’ PJ Haggerty drew a foul seven seconds later and made both free throws, giving the Tigers back the lead.
The Green Wave came up empty on the next possession, as Memphis’ Moussa Cisse blocked a Brumbaugh layup. The rebound was tied up and Tulane got the ball back. Brumbaugh turned it over after the inbounds pass and Memphis took possession, forcing the Green Wave to foul.
Unfortunately for Tulane, it fouled Haggerty. He made two more free throws pushing the lead to three points with 11 seconds left. Tulane’s Asher Woods missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. Brumbaugh grabbed the rebound and went back up but had his shot blocked. After Brumbaugh grabbed the ball again, he called a timeout with three seconds left.
On the inbounds pass, Gregg Glenn III dunked the ball and cut the lead to two points. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Haggerty was fouled again and he made both free throws to push Memphis’ lead back to four points. That made Brumbaugh’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer irrelevant to the final outcome.
Brumbaugh led five Green Wave players in double figures with 22 points. Kam Williams had 16 points, Woods 15 points, Glenn III 12 points and Mari Jordan 10 points. The Tigers held Kaleb Banks to just two points.
Haggerty had 18 points and went 14-for-14 at the free throw line. Dain Dainja led the Tigers with 23 points.
