UC Irvine beats Tulane 67-55 in Gulf Coast Showcase

Nov 21, 2018, 12:27 am

ESTERO, Fla. -- Collin Welp tied his career high with 15 points, Elston Jones had 10 points and nine rebounds and UC Irvine beat Tulane 67-55 on Tuesday in the Gulf Coast Showcase.

The Anteaters made their first 11 shots of the second half, breaking a tie at 36 at the start of a 13-1 run, with eight points from Welp, for a 49-37 lead. UC Irvine was 12 of 15 at one point and finished the half at 13 of 21.

UC Irvine led by 13 points, but Tulane scored the next six -- highlighted by Jordan Cornish's turnaround jumper and free throw after being fouled -- to pull within 57-50. But the Green Wave didn't make another field goal until Cornish's 3-pointer nearly four minutes later, and UC Irvine sealed it at the line.

John Edgar Jr. added 13 points for UC Irvine (6-0), which shot 31.4 percent in the first half and 61.9 in the second. It's the best start for the Anteaters since the 1981-82 season in which they started 9-0.

Caleb Daniels scored 14 points for Tulane (2-2).