Sports editor Jaralynn Tammi Morellano says men’s basketball had a painful reunion last week.
There is a winter gloom looming over the city of Tulsa, but it has failed to affect The University of Tulsa’s women’s basketball team as it took its first conference win of the winter season last Wednesday. The Golden Hurricane just returned from Charlotte, leaving its opponents in dismay after taking a 28-point win. The final score sat at 81-53, which propelled the Golden Hurricane to a 6-5 in conference action (12-11 overall) while the 49ers dropped 2-8 in the American (7-14 overall).
“I really felt like we played a complete game today,” Head Coach Angie Nelp said. “We had to make sure to defend well when they pushed back a bit in the second quarter. Then we turned around and hit them with a run of our own, and that was a great growth moment for us. We shared the ball so incredibly well today. It was so much fun to see the way our team was playing together. It didn’t always convert to points, but we played the way that we’re capable of playing.”
Delanie Crawford was the superstar of the game, garnering all of her points from three-pointers and free throws. Her three-point campaign began as soon as Hadey Periman scored Tulsa’s opening shot. Charlotte would sink its own three, however, this sparked no momentum for them. This play was followed by a 0-for-7 run of disappointments.
Halfway through the first quarter, things got a little dicey as the Golden Hurricane hit its own bump in the road. However, Jade Clack saved the day when she brought an easy layup to the board. This sparked a new motivation in her teammates, Crawford making her third three of the night just seconds later off a fast break. The quarter would end in favor of TU, the board reading 20-14.
Periman came out roaring in the second quarter. She not only scored the first point of the game but the first four points. The 49ers would put an end to this exponential performance, and its very own Hayleigh Brelund would make two treys to bring the score to 29-28. The reliable Crawford would continue to push the Golden Hurricane forward with her fourth three-pointer of the night.
Continuing to keep its cool, TU would make eight straight free throws. With the help of an added layup by Mady Cartwright, Tulsa would extend its lead once more to 89-31.
TU’s scoring in the third quarter was started up by Kristol Ayson, her made free throw being the 15th consecutive one of the night. Unfortunately, her second one would not make it through the net, putting an end to the streak. Ayson would make up for this, however, when she made a mid-range jumper off a pass from Cartwright. Crawford continued to fire off three-pointers, putting the Golden Hurricane at a 20-point lead (59-39). The 49ers would only make one shot before the end of the quarter.
The hot streak would not stop for TU, Cartwright and Paige Bradley joining the three-point pedestal to hurdle the Golden Hurricane to its victory. The last point would be Crawford’s seventh three-pointer. At the buzzer, the Golden Hurricane reigned victorious 81-53.
The Golden Hurricane stayed on the road and made its way to East Carolina on Saturday. Unfortunately, the team could not continue its momentum against the Pirates. It was a close match from start to finish, but the Golden Hurricane eventually fell 64-73. Now that it’s road trip is over, TU fans can rejoice in the team’s return to Tulsa and attend its next match in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. The team will be facing off North Texas at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
