Harrison Leads Tulsa To OT Victory Over Memphis

Shaquille Harrison scored 23 points, including all eight in overtime, to lead the Tulsa basketball team to a thrilling 74-72 OT road win over American Athletic Conference rival Memphis Saturday evening at the FedEx Forum.

The Golden Hurricane (21-7, 14-2 American) overcame a seven-point deficit with just over five minutes remaining in the game. TU took a 66-64 lead with just under a minute, but Memphis tied the score at 66-66 to force overtime. Harrison scored all eight points to lead the Hurricane, which outscored the Tigers 8-6 in the extra period.

Rashad Ray scored 18 points with four 3-pointers, and both Ray and Harrison tallied five assists in the game. James Woodard added 10 points, and Harrison led TU with nine rebounds and three steals, while TK Edogi scored a career-high eight points. Shaq Goodwin scored 17 points to lead Memphis (17-12, 9-7 American).

Tulsa shot 50 percent from the field (27-for-54), made 6-of-17 3-pointers, and 14-of-20 free throws in the game. The Hurricane benefitted from 33 points off the bench, 38 points in the paint, and 16 points off turnovers. Memphis shot 43 percent from the field (26-for-61), made 7-of-21 threes and 13-of-24 free throws. The Tigers held a 41-29 advantage in rebounds.

Harrison got the overtime period started with a layup, and then made one of two free throws to give the Hurricane a 69-66 lead with 3:56 to play. Memphis cut it to one on a layup by Nick King. Harrison then drilled a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to put TU ahead, 72-68, and made a layup with 0:31 left to make the score 74-69. Kedren Johnson made a three with 0:20 left to pull Memphis within 74-72. TU held on to win, as Harrison came away with the rebound off a missed long 3-point attempt by the Tigers in the final seconds. 

Memphis extended its 36-34 halftime lead to 39-34 with a 3-pointer by Woodson at the start of the second period. Trailing 44-38, Harrison made a layup to ignite a 7-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from D'Andre Wright. Wright's basket gave the Hurricane a 45-44 lead, its first since 11:44 of the first half. TU led 47-44, before Memphis used a 9-0 run to move ahead 53-47 with 10:33 to play in the game.

Tulsa cut the deficit to 53-49 and again to 55-51, but Memphis moved back into a nine-point lead, 60-51, with 7:44 remaining. A Harrison steal and fastbreak dunk, followed by a steal by Ray and pass toMarquel Curtis for a layup cut the deficit to 60-55.

Memphis led 62-55 after a jumper by Goodwin with 5:10 to play, but the Hurricane outscored the Tigers, 11-4 over the remainder of regulation. A layup by Harrison cut it to four and a pair of free throws by Rashad Smith made it 62-60. After a free throw by Goodwin, Ray sunk a 3-pointer to tie the game at 63-all. A free throw by Trahson Burrell gave Memphis a 64-63 lead, but Ray's fourth trey of the game gave Tulsa the 66-64 advantage with 0:58 on the clock. Burrell made a putback layup with 0:23 left to tie it at 66-66, and Rashad Smith's 3-point attempt at the buzzer rattled out, forcing overtime.

Tulsa took an 8-5 lead to start the game, but Memphis came back and led 12-10 at the 12:08 mark. Tulsa retook the lead, 13-12, on a Ray 3-pointer, but the Tigers scored five in a row to move ahead again, 17-13. Tulsa cut it to 17-16, but Memphis extended its lead to 27-18 and 29-20 with 4:48 remaining in the half.

The Hurricane pulled within 29-26 after a dunk by Edogi, and trailed 32-30 after a pair of free throws by Woodard. Memphis extended its lead to 34-30 after a layup by Johnson with 1:55 left in the half, but Tulsa scored four of the final six points, including a dunk and a layup by Edogi, to trail 36-34 at the break.

Tulsa shot 54 percent in the first half, led by Ray's 12 points and Edogi's eight points.

With its win Saturday paired with the 73-55 victory in Tulsa on Jan. 21, Tulsa swept Memphis in the season series for the first time since 1970-71. The Hurricane improved to 2-0 in overtime games this season.

The Golden Hurricane will play its final home game of the season against Cincinnati at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.