Tulane blistered the nets in the second half to pull away from the McNeese Cowgirls in a 75-55 Green Wave win at Burton Coliseum.

The Green Wave (2-0) shot 64 percent in the second half, outscoring the Cowgirls 43-30 to take control of the game. Tulane scored eight straight points early in the half to build a 17-point lead. McNeese (1-1) rallied to cut the lead to 56-49 midway through the half on a Jayln Johnson three-pointer. But, Tulane scored the next seven points to reassume control of the game. After a McNeese basket, Tulane ran off 10 straight points to put the game out of reach.

Tierra Jones led the Green Wave with 16 points, making all eight field goal attempts. Danielle Blagg scored 13 and Kolby Morgan added 12 points off the bench.

Johnson led McNeese with 10 points, all coming in the second half. Frederica Haywood had 9 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Cowgirls head coach Brooks Donald-Williams said the game was a learning experience for her team, which features eight freshmen.

“Tulane is a great team, we knew it was going to be a tough task,” she said.

“They are a veteran team, they lost one player from a postseason team. I thought we did a really job at times. At times we struggled. I thought (Tulane) had a lot to do with that. I thought we got good shots. Early on, during some of our droughts, we got good shots against their zone and their man (defense). The ball just didn’t go down.”

Dede Sheppard scored nine points off the bench for McNeese before leaving due to injury in the second half.

“This is the second game she has done it, she has done it in practice, she is a game-changing kid,” said Donald-Willams. “We are going to wait and see what her status is going to be and hope she returns to the court quickly. She is a huge spark, a go-to kid that can score in a lot of ways. Defensively, she can change a game. She helped do it tonight in a lot of different ways. She and Alaina Verdin attacked the rim and got us to the free throw line.”

Donald-Williams said Tulane mixed things up defensively.

“For our youth, to be able to handle the change , I think it made us better,” she said. “We have not had that. I saw kids get better over the course of the game tonight.”

McNeese’s leading returning scorer, Allison Baggett, was held to six points on 2-of-15 shooting. McNeese shot 29 percent in the first half and 33 percent in the game. Tulane finished at 52 percent.(Rick Hickman/American Press)

Rick Hickman