WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Jessica Kochendorfer

NEW ORLEANS, LA ­ Sophomore Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy) had team highs of 13 points and eight rebounds, but the Tulane Green Wave proved to be too much for the University at Buffalo women's basketball team in the opening game of the Tulane/Doubletree Classic in New Orleans, LA. The Green Wave shot 44.8 percent from the floor in the game (30-for-67) and held the Bulls to just 11 total field goals en route to a 76-29 win at Fogelman Arena. Tulane (10-2) entered the game ranked 23rd and 25th in the nation, respectively, in the USA Today/ESPN and the Associated Press Top 25 polls. With the loss, the Bulls' record drops to 4-6 overall.

Buffalo opened the scoring on a jumper by freshman Allison Bennett (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge), and a three-pointer by Kochendorfer gave the Bulls a 5-0 lead with 18:11 showing on the clock. The Green Wave, however, embarked on a 19-0 run, holding the Bulls scoreless for a span of nine minutes and 35 seconds. The Green Wave led by 21 points at halftime, 34-13, and they outscored Buffalo by a 42-16 margin in the second half to advance to the tournament's championship game. The 29 points were the fewest allowed by Tulane since a 57-16 win over Spring Hill during the 1977-78 season and the fewest scored by the Bulls since an 80-11 loss at Cortland during the 1978-79 season.

"Tulane is a great basketball team with a lot of depth and they shot the ball extremely well from the arc tonight," said head coach Cheryl Dozier. "I'm proud of our team that we were down by 40 and still kept playing. That shows the character of our team, and we'll be back tomorrow."

Bennett finished with a career-high nine points, including seven in the second half, and junior Rachel Martin (Kenmore, NY/Kenmore West) chipped in three points for the Bulls. Sophomore Kim Kilpela (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) and freshman Erin Lawrenson (Elkland, PA/Elkland) rounded out the Bulls' scoring with one bucket apiece. Tulane was led by Britt Themann with a game-high 17 points, including a 5-for-7 performance from three-point range, and Teana McKiver with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bulls will play Long Island University in the consolation game of the Tulane/Doubletree Classic tomorrow night at 7 pm EST. LIU was a 73-40 loser to Virginia in its opening game of the tournament.