GAME DAY: Tulsa To Host Temple In Critical AAC Matchup

The Tulsa men's basketball team plays host to Temple in an important American Athletic Conference game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
 
The Golden Hurricane (18-9, 10-5 American) is tied for third place in the league standings, 1.5 games behind the first place Owls (17-9, 11-3 American). The Hurricane has won 10 of its last 13 games, including a 75-67 win at UCF on Sunday, and has won six in a row at home. Temple has won six of its last seven, including a 69-66 win at Houston on Sunday. This is the third contest in six days for the Hurricane.
 
The game will be broadcast on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network, and televised on ESPNews.
 
TULSA (18-9, 10-5 American) vs. TEMPLE (17-9, 10-5 American)
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 • 6:01 p.m. • Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,355)
 
TV: ESPNews (Allen Bestwick and Mark Wise)
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network (Bruce Howard and J.R. Rollo)
Internet: Live Audio on Hurricane Vision
Live Stats: www.TulsaHurricane.com
Twitter: @TUMBasketball | @TulsaHurricane
Instagram: TulsaMBasketball
 
The Coaches
Tulsa: Frank Haith (Elon '88)
Career Record: 246-149 (12th year) Record at Tulsa: 41-20 (second year)
 
Temple: Fran Dunphy (LaSalle, '70)
Career Record: 521-280 (27th year)  Record at Temple: 211-117 (10th year)
 
The Series
This will be the sixth meeting between Tulsa and Temple. Tulsa leads the series, 4-1. The Owls won the first meeting this season, 83-79 in overtime, in Philadelphia back on Feb. 4. The Golden Hurricane won both meetings last season, 63-56 in Philadelphia on Jan. 10, and 55-39 in Tulsa on Feb. 22. The Hurricane also won the first-ever meeting between the schools on Dec. 9, 1995 – a 64-60 win in Philadelphia. Tulsa won the following year at home, 67-60, on Dec. 14, 1996.
 
About Temple
Temple averages 69.3 points and 36.3 rebounds per game, as well as a .408 field goal and .339 3-point percentage, while allowing 67.9 ppg, 38.2 rpg, a .417 field goal and a .307 3-point percentage. Quenton DeCosey leads the Owls with 16.0 points and adds 6.1 rebounds per game. Obi Enechionyia scores 10.7 points, and Jaylen Bond averages 9.8 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds per contest. Devin Coleman puts up 9.2 points and Josh Brown adds 4.7 assists and 8.4 points per outing.
 
Tulsa Statistical Leaders
James Woodard leads the Golden Hurricane with 15.8 points and adds 5.2 rebounds per game, while Shaquille Harrison averages 15.0 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds, along with 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. Pat Birt adds 12.4 points, Rashad Smith scores 7.3 points, andBrandon Swannegan puts up 5.8 points. Tulsa averages 73.6 ppg, 35.0 rpg, a .445 field goal percentage, .335 3-point pct. and a .669 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 68.5 ppg, 36.7 rpg, a .414 field goal pct. and a .354 3-point pct.
 
Quick Hits
• Tulsa's RPI is No. 37, and its strength of schedule is a league-best 32nd in the nation.
• Tulsa has won 10 of its last 13 games.
• Tulsa defeated UCF, 75-67, Sunday in Orlando. Pat Birt led the Golden Hurricane with 26 points, and Marquel Curtis recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and added four assists, while Shaquille Harrison and James Woodard scored 14 and 10 points, respectively.
• Shaquille Harrison is the only player in TU history to compile 1,300 points, 400 assists and 200 steals.
• James Woodard, Shaquille Harrison and Pat Birt combine to average 43.2 points per game.
• Three Tulsa starters are left-handed (60%), but only 12 percent of the population is left-handed.
• Tulsa is 2-2 vs. ranked opponents this season, with wins over No. 9 Wichita State (77-67) and No. 16 SMU (82-77), and losses to No. 18 SMU (69-81) and No. 22 Cincinnati (57-76).
• Through 27 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 365 assists to 299 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 27 games, the Hurricane had 296 assists-311 turnovers–0.9 ratio.
• Pat Birt was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 19.5 points and leading the Hurricane to wins over Cincinnati and at UCF last week.
• Tulsa has two wins against top-25 opponents for the first time since the 1999-00 season.
• Two Tulsa players have scored 20 points in the same game six times this season – the most since the 1993-94 team had at least two players score at least 20 points in the same game eight times.
• Tulsa is 10-3 at home this season.
• James Woodard is one of only three players in Tulsa history to total at least 60 3-pointers in three consecutive seasons.
•  Harrison ranks 36th in the nation in steals (2.0 spg).
•  The Hurricane has scored 90 points in four games so far this season. It is the most 90-point games since 2013-14, when Tulsa scored 90 points five times, and is the second-most since 2000-01.
•  Harrison is on the 2016 Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List, from the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
•  TU nabbed the first two American Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards of the season. Woodard won the award on Nov. 16, and Harrison received the honor on Nov. 23.
•  Tulsa is playing this season with nine seniors – the most seniors on one roster in the country.
•  Tulsa is in its second year season under the direction of head coach Frank Haith. In his first season, the Hurricane posted a 23-11 overall record and a 14-4 conference record. TU finished second in the American Athletic Conference regular season, played in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and reached the second round of the postseason NIT.
 
American Athletic Conference Players of the Week
     Tulsa has claimed three American Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards this season. Senior guards James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison earned the first two awards of the season, and Pat Birt won the award on Feb. 22. Woodard won the award on Nov. 16 and Harrison earned the honor on Nov. 23. In addition, Woodard has been named on the weekly honor roll three times (12/14, 1/18, 1/25) and Pat Birt has made the honor roll twice (2/8, 2/15).
 
Tulsa Career Top-10 Rankings
     James Woodard ranks fifth in TU career scoring with 1,814 points, and third with 249 career 3-pointers, and with one three, he can match Dante Swanson (1999-03) for second place (249).
     Harrison ranks third at TU with 237 career steals, and fourth with 438 career assists. He needs 34 steals to match Steve Harris (1981-85) for second place (271), and 19 assists to match Byron Boudreaux (1983-87) for second place (457).
     Brandon Swannegan has 144 career blocks, ranking fourth in TU history. He needs 109 blocks to match Kevin Johnson (1999-03) for third place.
 
Other Statistical Notes
     Tulsa averages 31.9 points in the paint per game, and has scored 862 points, or 44 percent of its season total, in the paint – that is 8.0 ppg more than its opponents. Tulsa averages 16.8 points off turnovers per game, and has scored 454, or 23 percent of its season total, off turnovers – 5.9 ppg more than its opponents. Tulsa averages 8.6 fastbreak points per game, and outscores opponents by an average of 5.0 fastbreak points per game. The Tulsa bench averages 20.0 points per game. Rashad Ray has a 2.9 assist-turnover ratio this season (55 assists to 19 turnovers). For his career, Ray has a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio, including a 2.4 ratio over his last three years.