Tulsa Beats No. 9 Wichita State, Moves To 2-0

The Golden Hurricane is off to a good start this season, tallying its second win against No. 9 Wichita State.

Tulsa's high momentum set the tone of the game early as they snagged a quick 8-4 lead just minutes into the 1st half.

The Shockers didn't stay behind for long, stealing a 12-8 advantage at the 15:36 mark.

James Woodard came through clutch for his team with back to back buckets, the first being one from behind the arc and the second a fast-break layup. This put TU back on top by four (16-12).

At this point, the Golden Hurricane’s offense looked good, moving the ball well and executing the paint, while the defense held off the Shockers in zone, keeping them from attempting so many deep balls.

TU's offense really heated up late in the 1st, when Marquel Curtis knocked down back to back threes to put Tulsa up 26-20 with 3:15 before the 2nd.

A deep step-back buzzer-beating three from Fred Vanvleet helped Wichita State snatch a 31-30 lead before intermission.

Two minutes into the final half, Rashad Ray sunk a corner three to cut Tulsa's deficit 35-33.

Bad shot selections and lack of ball movement by the Shockers soon helped Tulsa regain control with a two-point cushion.

At the 14:26 mark, it started raining in the arena with three-point exchanges between both teams, leading to a 40-all ball game.

That was until Shaquille Harrison knocked down the three ball and then a jumper to give the Golden Hurricane another lead.

Stats (11:17 in the 2nd):

Shooting Percentage

Tulsa- 43

Wichita State- 38

FT Percentage

Tulsa- 57

Wichita State- 78

3-Point Percentage

Tulsa- 45

Wichita State- 42

Rebounds Off/Def

Tulsa- 5/21

Wichita State- 4/20

Assists/Turnovers

Tulsa- 12/10

Wichita State- 10/9

Steals/Blocks

Tulsa- 5/1

Wichita State- 7/1

A couple buckets from Woodard and Harrison helped maintain Tulsa's lead. Pat Birt boosted that lead when he made a three and got the foul call, leading to a 57-51 matchup.

The Golden Hurricane continued to play high energy, upping its lead to 66-57 with five minutes before the final, and went on to win 77-67.

Ron Baker led all scorers with 23 points while Harrison led TU with 20.

“We tightened up on things and got the job done,” said Harrison after the game. “We knew we had to play one of our best games to beat them.”