Kevin Sims scored 23 points and handed out six assists in Tulane's 69-59 win over East Carolina in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament on Wednesday night. Sims connected on 7 of 11 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range for eighth-seeded Tulane (14-16). The guard gave the Green Wave the lead for good on a 3-pointer with 3:52 left in the first half for a 24-23 advantage. Another Sims 3-pointer stopped an 11-0 run by the Pirates for a 54-45 lead with 6:32 remaining in the second. Sims was the only Tulane player in double figures for the Green Wave, who shot 52 percent (25 of 48) to earn a spot in Thursday's round against top-seeded Memphis, the No. 4 team in the nation. Sam Hinnant led the ninth-seeded Pirates (13-17) with 16 points and Darrius Morrow added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
