Final Stats
March 3, 2002
CHICAGO (AP) - Sarah Goree scored seven points in overtime as Tulane
defeated No. 25 TCU 80-76 Sunday in the semifinals of the
Conference USA Tournament.
The Green Wave (23-9) go for their fourth straight tournament title when
they play Cincinnati on Monday. The Bearcats beat Houston 78-74, earlier
Sunday.
"This win is extra special for us," said Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton.
"We knew that for us to play for the NCAA automatic bid, we were going to
have to play with a lot of heart, and we did. We executed so well during
overtime.
TCU held a 33-29 lead over the Green Wave heading into overtime with Candace
Baldwin notching 10 of her 19 points during the first stanza. However,
Tulane always remained in the game, staying within three points with five
minutes left. The teams tied at 63 points each and it looked that the Green
Wave had sealed the win when Teana McKiver hit a layup up with 12 seconds
left and then it a foul shot. However Baldwin answered for TCU with
a three-pointer at the 10 second mark to send it in overtime.
The Horned Frogs never got into a rhythm in overtime, falling behind six
points and eventually falling, 80-76.
McKiver led the Tulane offensive front with 24 points, while Sarah Goree
added 18 points. Gwen Slaughter also had a big night, posting 16 points and
a team-high 11 rebounds. Tulane shot a stellar 66.7 percent in overtime to
post a 51.8 shooting percentage for the game.
TCU was led by Baldwin, who notched 19 points, followed by Sandora
Irvin with 17 points.
"It was a tough game, but Tulane deserved the victory." said TCU head coach
Jeff Mittie. "We became a little impatient during overtime and seemed like
we could never get back into a groove after our second half. We played hard,
but was not able to get the win. Tulane is an outstanding team and I believe
even more that this league deserves four teams in the NCAA Tournament."
For the second year in a row, Tulane will face Cincinnati in the C-USA
Tournament Championship on Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. (CST) at the DePaul
Athletic Center. Tulane captured the 2001 C-USA title after defeating the
Bearcats, 63-50 on March 3, 2001. The Green Wave have also competed for the
C-USA title for four consecutive years, winning the last three.
