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Monday, March 5, 2001
Tulane takes a 22-9 record into NCAA Tournament
Associated Press
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MILWAUKEE -- Sarah Goree scored 18 points and Tulane used a
13-0 run in the final minutes to beat Cincinnati 63-50 and win its
third consecutive Conference USA Tournament championship Monday night.
Second-seeded Tulane (22-9) earned the conference's automatic
NCAA Tournament bid. Fifth-seeded Cincinnati (22-9) and top-seeded
Louisville, which was upset by DePaul in the quarterfinals, are
hoping for at-large berths.
The Green Wave overcame a horrible first half to win for the
seventh time in eight games. Leading 45-44 with 4:40 to play,
Tulane scored 13 consecutive points. The spurt, sparked by Teana
McKiver's three-point play, also featured a 3-pointer by Goree and
seven free throws.
The Bearcats managed only one field goal in the final 4:40. They
were outscored 18-6 during the span.
McKiver added 16 points and Britt Themann had 15 for Tulane,
which began its three-year tournament reign with a 58-44 victory
over the Bearcats in the 1999 title game.
Valerie King led the Bearcats with 22 points and was voted the
tournament's most valuable player, scoring 92 points in four games.
K.B. Sharp, also named to the all-tournament team, had 16 points.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half. Tulane shot
just 12 percent (4-for-33). Cincinnati doubled that percentage at 24
(7-for-29), but managed only a 19-17 lead.
The frustrated Green Wave didn't score a field goal in the final
14:55 of the first half after grabbing a 13-7 lead on three
3-pointers by Goree, all within a span of 2:20.
Tulane finished at 31 percent (18-for-58) from the floor and
Cincinnati 28 percent (17-for-60). The Green Wave had a 49-39
rebounding edge.
Also voted to the all-tourney team were Tulane's Janell Burse,
who had 14 rebounds in the title game; DePaul's Lenae Williams; and
Houston's Monet Sykes. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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ALSO SEE
Conference USA tournament schedule
Dance fever: Teams headed to the 2001 NCAA Tournament
Championship Week schedule
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