Thursday night’s loss was brutal, no doubt about it.
I really thought Tulane was gonna pull it off when the score was 10-0 to begin the game. Why wouldn’t I? Tulane beat Temple earlier in the season and had all the energy in this one. But basketball’s a fickle game of massive runs and swings of momentum, and the Green Wave eventually found itself down 10 late in the game. After storming back, the lead was cut to four with just 30 seconds to play. My hopes and (pipe) dreams of an NCAA tournament berth lived and died with every possession. At this point, it was pretty much either score or go home. With 30 seconds to play and Tulane trailing by four, Cameron Reynolds, the team’s only starting senior, hucked up a Hail Mary three-pointer that somehow went in. This is college basketball; that kind of wild crap is supposed to happen. All of a sudden, it seemed like Tulane had taken on that “team of destiny” role. The Green Wave was gonna come back. After getting the ball back down three, Ona Embo kicked to Reynolds in the corner with four seconds left, and he took a WIDE open three. Air ball. Season over.
Man, that sucked. Like I said, it felt like destiny that Reynolds would make that three to at least to take the game to overtime. Not only did he miss it, but he airballed the final shot of his career. Stinks to be that guy right now.
Whatever, the future's bright in NOLA. The team improved by nine wins from last season to now. We’re no longer the laughingstock of the AAC, a conference with three top 25 teams that seem to be on the same trend as the Green Wave. The second year coach, Mike Dunleavy Sr., has 17 NBA seasons of coaching under his belt, including mentoring five different Hall-of-Famers. After a long hiatus, Dunleavy is back in the coaching world with Tulane, where he will hopefully settle in and create a reputable program. Melvin Frazier, a Second Team All-AAC player and the undisputed best player on the roster, is also set to return. Things aren’t looking too bad for the Green Wave.
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