by Don Mooney
Junior point guard Rowan Brumbaugh torched Memphis defense for 35 pts leading Blue Wave to second round of AAC tournament. photo by Don Mooney
Birmingham, AL—Rowan Brumbaugh dropped 35 points on 66.7 percent (10-15) shooting from the field to lead nine seed Tulane men’s basketball (18-14) to an 81-69 victory over eight seed Memphis (13-19) in the first round of the American Conference Championship Wednesday night. Brumbaugh scored 25 of his 35 points in the second half against the Tigers.
Before the tip – Tigers were down 1-0. A sign Tigers were in for a long night. As a team, the Wave knocked down 14 three-points connecting at a 41.2 percent (14-34) clip from beyond the arc. Brumbaugh led the way with five made threes while Curtis Williams Jr. and Scotty Middleton each added three.
Blue Wave defense clamped top AAC sixth-man candidate Sincere Parker in loss to Tulane. photo by Don Mooney
Tulane also performed well at the charity stripe to help close out the victory over Memphis. The Green Wave shot 82.1 percent from the free throw line connecting on 23-of-28 attempts.
The Wave took the battle to the Tigers on the as well matching a season-high with 40 rebounds including 15 offensive boards. The first time Tulane pulled down 40 rebounds this season was against Tougaloo on December 10.
Seven different players found the scoring column for the Green Wave with two reaching double figures. Brumbaugh led all players matching his career bests in points and rebounds with 35 and eight. He also knocked down 10-of-13 from the charity stripe line marking the fourth game this season he has made at least 10 free throws.
photo by Don Mooney
Williams was the other player for the Wave in double figures with 11 points to go with seven boards. Middleton and Tyler Ringgold followed with nine points each while Asher Woods added seven and KJ Green and Luke Rasmussen contributed five.
Tulane and Memphis went back-and-forth to open the first-round contest inside Legacy Arena. The Wave was the first team to make a push building a six-point (23-17) advantage with 9:26 to play in the first half.
Junior guard Brumbaugh blows past Tiger defense for layup en route to win. photo by Don Mooney
After the Tigers answered to briefly pull in front 24-23 with 7:26 remaining, the Green Wave quickly responded with six-straight points to reclaim the lead. With four minutes left in the frame, Tulane used a 10-4 run to take a 39-31 advantage into halftime, capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Rasmussen.
Memphis made an early push to begin the second half and trim the Tulane lead to two points at 42-40 with 17:38 on the clock. However, after a Green Wave timeout the Wave locked down defensively holding the Tigers without a field goal for two separate six-minute stretches in the second half. Tulane took advantage of the scoring droughts by Memphis to build its largest lead of the night at 18 points (68-50) with under seven minutes to play.
Tiger fan show intensity in support of his team. photo by Don Mooney
The Tigers struggled to find offensive rhythm throughout the night, shooting just 36 percent from the floor and 5-of-22 from beyond the arc. Turnovers and empty possessions prevented Memphis from sustaining any real comeback attempt. Julius Thedford provided a bright spot off the bench, finishing with a team-high 13 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night. Davis added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Curtis Givens III chipped in 10.
Still, Memphis spent most of the evening chasing Tulane after briefly taking a 24-23 lead late in the first half. A buzzer-beating three from Luke Rasmussen sent the Green Wave into the locker room with an eight-point cushion and the Tigers never fully regained control.
Tulane continued to maintain its distance from the Tigers down the stretch never letting its lead fall under 10 points. The Green Wave ultimately closed contest from the free throw line securing the 81-69 victory over Memphis.
Next, the Green Wave will face five seed Charlotte in the second round of the American Conference Championship on Thursday. Tipoff between Tulane and the 49ers is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPNU.