7-Game Winning Streak: Woodard Leads TU Past USF

James Woodard scored 21 points to lead four Tulsa players in double figures, as the Golden Hurricane defeated USF, 75-58, in American Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Sun Dome.

Tulsa won its seventh straight game to move to 12-5 overall and 5-0 in American play. Shaquille Harrison scored 14 points, Marquel Curtis put up 13 points, and D'Andre Wright added 12 points for the Hurricane. Woodard sunk five 3-pointers, including four in the second half, to put up 21 points for the second consecutive contest. Harrison and Rashad Ray each added four assists.

Tulsa shot 60 percent in the second half, outscoring the Bulls 43-31 in the period. The Hurricane shot 50 percent for the game, going 25-for-50 from the field, and made 6-of-10 3-pointers and 19-of-22 free throws. TU held USF to 42 percent from the field (21-for-50), tallied nine steals and six blocks, and scored 17 points off 15 forced turnovers. Nehemias Morillo scored 15 points to lead the Bulls (7-11, 1-4 American).

Tulsa extended its five-point halftime lead with a Wright layup out of the chute to make the score 34-27. USF cut the lead to 38-35 on a layup by Chris Perry with 16:32 on the clock. A dunk by Wright and a layup by Curtis brought the advantage back to seven, at 42-35.

The Hurricane led 50-43 with 11:50 to play when Woodard hit a three to give TU a 10-point lead and spark a 10-1 run. Woodard bracketed the run with another trey that made the score 60-44 with 9:16 left. USF only got as close as 11 points the rest of the way. Tulsa made five free throws, in addition to getting a layup and jumper from Wright, and a layup from Curtis to extend its lead to 19 points, 73-54, with 1:23 remaining. Freshman Micah Littlejohn scored his first career points on a 15-foot jump shot in the final minute, making the score 75-56, as the Hurricane cruised to its fourth straight road victory.

Tulsa fell behind 10-6 early on a 3-pointer by USF's Troy Holston Jr. A layup by Curtis cut it to 10-8, but USF went ahead, 15-8 at the 12:22 mark after a three and a layup by Morillo. The Hurricane trailed 22-18 with 8:27 left in the half, and reduced the deficit to 22-21 on a free throw by Smith and a pair of foul shots by Ray.

Woodard then knocked down a 3-pointer to give Tulsa the 24-22 lead, its first since 2-0. After a layup tied it at 24-24, Curtis had a steal and fastbreak dunk that made the score 26-24. The Hurricane used a 10-2 run to take a 28-24 lead, and outscored the Bulls 14-5 over the final 8:27 of the period to take a 32-27 lead at the break.

Tulsa shot 40 percent (10-for-25), and made 10-of-11 free throws in the first half, while USF shot 55 percent (11-for-20). The Hurricane scored 12 points off of turnovers, and had six steals in the period.

The Golden Hurricane returns home to the Donald W. Reynolds Center Wednesday to play host to Memphis at 6 p.m.