Tulane's Youthfulness Too Much To Overcome in First AAC Loss to UAB Blazers

The Tulane Green Wave's youth cost them down the stretch against the UAB Blazers.

Jan 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave head coach Ron Hunter reacts to a foul against the Houston Cougars during the first half at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. / Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

The Tulane Green Wave men’s basketball team got off to a great start in American Athletic Conference play, going 2-0 as they defeated the Charlotte 49ers and UTSA Roadrunners in dominant fashion.

They knew things were going to get more difficult, as those were two of the bottom teams in the conference. A step up in competition occurred on Tuesday night when the team went on the road to face the UAB Blazers.

For most of the contest, Tulane was able to hang with a talented Blazers squad.

With 13:43 remaining in the game, an offensive rebound by Gregg Glenn III and a subsequent putback tied things up at 54.

It was that kind of hustle and determination that had allowed the underdog Green Wave to remain in the game. Unfortunately, that would be the closest they would get, as their youthfulness led to a disappointing 81-69 defeat.

After tying the game, Tulane suffered a drought, scoring only five points over the next 10 minutes. Their discipline on the offensive side of the ball disappeared, as turnovers and poor shot selection plagued them.

With the UAB offense humming efficiently, led by AAC preseason Player of the Year Yaxel Lendenborg scoring 25 points on 11-of-13 from the field, the unproductive possessions added up quickly.

“That was kind of what we saw earlier in the year,” Tulane coach Ron Hunter said, via Guerry Smith of NOLA.com. “We got ourselves back in the game, but we just didn’t play well offensively when we needed to. The best player in the league played like the best player in the league and won the game for them.”

Lendenborg added 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks in 36 minutes. He was a one-man wrecking crew on both ends of the court.

The Green Wave took an early 18-9 lead, building off the momentum they created in their first two AAC games in which they never trailed.

UAB was not phased by the uncharacteristically slow start since they are a veteran-laden team.

There are only three underclassmen on their entire roster and eight seniors. Tulane has zero seniors and only six juniors, most of whom didn’t have much, if any, Division I playing experience under their belt.

Experience playing in those types of games is ultimately what helped the Blazers put away a young Tulane squad during that second-half stretch.

It is an obstacle Hunter’s team is going to face throughout the campaign, as time is the only way to overcome it.