Randy Culpepper, UTEP's star who earned Player of the Week honors already, left the first half with a nasty 22 points. The Miners led 38-22, and it looked like things were pretty close to over.
The Green Wave was absolutely a different team in the second half. Kendall Timmons, among others, stepped up to rally and bring the game within 9 points at several points. The crowd (boasting a pretty full student section, though Fogelman still hasn't been completely packed in spite of the team's recent wins) managed to put some pressure on the visitors throughout the half.
With the clock winding down, UTEP succeeded in quieting the crowd with a consistent offense despite the fact that Culpepper was neutralized (with only 4 points in the second half). Poor clock management and a series of missed shots spelled the end for the Green Wave's win streak.
On one hand, this was a winnable game that Tulane likely gave up in the first half. That said, the team showed some fight in the second half even when things were looking very bleak and certainly should be competitive at the top of the conference.
Tulane drops to 12-4 and 2-1 in C-USA, and they will travel to East Carolina for their next game on the 15th.
On the bright, struggling Memphis managed to lose to SMU (who Tulane beat several nights ago) to put the Tigers at 1-1. UCF is also 1-1 following a loss to Houston. If the Wave continues their hot streak, things certainly are looking alright.
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