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Nov. 17, 2002

NEW ORLEANS, La. - -

Tulane 80, Xavier (La.) 66

Gwen Slaughter led four players in double figures as the Tulane women's basketball team posted an 80-66 win over cross-town rival Xavier at Fogelman Arena on Sunday.

The game was Tulane's final exhibition of the season. Xavier falls to 4-2 overall. The Gold Nuggets are currently ranked No. 21 in the preseason NAIA polls.

Slaughter had 15 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Green Wave, while guards Kinya Lennix and Kelly Nadeau added 13 points each. Nadeau also had five steals, three assists and three rebounds. Lennix was 5-of-7 from the floor and also pulled down four rebounds and blocked a shot for the Green Wave. Despite playing just six minutes in the second half, and only 18 for the game, senior All-American Teana McKiver added 10 points, five rebounds and five blocked shots.

"It was great to see some of the different defensive looks from Xavier," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "They were mixing up their defense, which is good for us to see. They are probably more along than most Division I teams because they have been practicing so long."

Tulane used a 10-0 burst midway through the second half to build a 17-point cushion. Gwen Slaughter had three free throws during the run, while Kinya Lennix hit a pair of lay-ups before Britt Themann capped the burst with a three-pointer to give Tulane a 54-37 lead with 12:57 left. The Wave pushed the lead to as many as 24 on several occasions before Xavier cut into the lead in the final three minutes.

The Gold Nuggets had just three three-pointers for the game, finishing 3-of-16 from behind the arc, but all three came in the final 2:15 against Tulane reserves to trim the Wave's 24-point lead to a 14-point final margin.

Tulane built a 41-31 halftime lead thanks to Slaughter's 10 first-half points. She also added seven rebounds in the opening stanza. The Green Wave jumped out to an early 12-4 lead, and pushed the margin to as many as 14, but Xavier stayed close and trimmed the lead to just 10 at the break.

Delacey Joseph had nine points for the Green Wave, while also chipping in with six rebounds and five assists.

Xavier had a 40-39 edge in rebounding as the Green Wave played without reserve post players Kaisha Lymon and Lakethia Hampton who were both nursing minor injuries. Tulane forced 21 Xavier turnovers and turned them into 31 Green Wave points.

Tulane opens the 2002-03 regular season on Friday, Nov. 22, as the Green Wave travel to face James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. The Wave open the home portion of their schedule on Friday, Dec. 5, when the Wave welcome Alabama Statet to Fogelman Arena.