NEW ORLEANS, La. – Tulane used a late run to defeat Lamar University Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Tulane Classic from Fogelman Arena, 66-57. The victory drops LU to 0-2 on the season as Tulane wins its season opener.
 
After trailing for the majority of the game, Tulane got hot late rattling off a 19-1 run to spark a team that finished 20-62 (.323) from the field, including 10-of-29 (.345) effort from three-point land. The Cardinals led the battle on the boards, 45-44, but that margin closed in the second half when senior Avery Sullivan and sophomore Corey Nickerson were forced to bench with foul trouble.
 
The Cardinals finished the game 19-of-55 (.345) from the field, but only three of their field goals came from long range. Big Red forced their guests into 15 turnovers but could manage just 13 points off those miscues.
 
Sophomore Anderson Kopp again led the Cardinals scoring 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Kopp was joined in double-figures by juniors Quinlan Bennett (14 points) and Ellis Jefferson (13 points). Both Sullivan and Nickerson pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Tulane was led by 15 points from Jaylen Forbes.
 
Neither team got out to a great start offensively as LU converted just two of their first eight attempts, but the Cards built a 6-0 lead by forcing the Green Wave to miss their first five, including an 0-3 effort on threes. Tulane didn't score its first point until the 14:37 mark which came from the free throw line. Their first field goal didn't come until nearly six minutes into the half (Jadan Coleman three-pointer).
 
The Cardinals responded to Tulane's first field goal by rattling off a 10-2 run to build a 14-6 first half advantage. The Green Wave's offensive woes continued midway through the first half opening the game just 1-for-9, and two for their first 11 (.181). In addition to the Green Wave's struggles on the glass, Big Red was hammering their hosts on the glass, 16-4.
 
Tulane trimmed the deficit down to six, 18-12, after two free throws followed by a steal and a layup, but the Cardinals responded with two free throws from Quinlan Bennett and LU pushed their advantage to as many as 11 points before taking a nine-point lead, 30-21, into the locker room.
 
LU shot 10-of-30 (.333) from the field in the opening 20 minutes but struggled to a 1-of-8 (.130) performance from three-point range. The Cardinals defense was stifling in the open half holding Tulane to just five field goals (.185), and a 2-of-12 (.167) effort on threes. LU also forced Tulane into nine-first half turnovers and dominated the glass, 28-17. The Green Wave managed to stay in the game due to a 9-of-12 (.750) performance at the free throw line.
 
Tulane opened second half on a 10-4 run to trim LU's lead to three, 34-31, with 14:31 remaining. The Cards pushed the lead back to six following a free throw and then made basket from Jefferson. Kopp made it a seven-point lead with a three-pointer at the 10:19 mark, but Tulane responded with a triple of their own followed by a steal and an and-one from Gabe Watson to trim the Cardinals' lead down to a single-point, 42-41, with less than 10 to play. Following a Jaylen Forbes three-pointer, Tulane took its first lead of the game, 44-42, with 8:46 remaining in the contest. The basket sparked a 14-0 run for the Green Wave.
 
The Cardinals finally stopped the run with a Bennett free throw to pull LU back within two possessions with 6:13 remaining. Unfortunately, Tulane responded with an and-one on the other end of the floor to push their run to 19-1 before the Cardinals could answer.
 
The Cardinals return to action Saturday when they close out the Tulane Classic against Lipscomb. The game against the Bisons will tip off at 4 p.m. from Fogelman Arena.