Tulsa
Kent State
Tulsa Falls at Kent State 75-74 in NIT Opener
3/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2010
Kent, Ohio - Ben Uzoh's 10-foot jumper from the baseline didn't fall as time expired and Kent State held on for a 75-74 victory in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday night in front of 1,175 fans at Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. Kent State took the one-point lead with 0:19 left in the game on a Rodriguez Sherman layup, and held on for the win.
Tulsa's Jerome Jordan and Justin Hurtt each turned in double-doubles, as Jordan had game highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds. Hurtt had 22 points and 10 boards for the Hurricane. Uzoh added 14 points, four rebounds and five assists for Tulsa. Kent State has six players in double-figures as Chris Singletary led the way with 16 points.
For the game, Tulsa shot 44-percent from the field, 50-percent from three-point range and 74-percent from the free throw line. The Hurricane held an 11-rebound edge over the Golden Flashes, 43-32.
Tulsa took a seven-point lead into halftime, 35-28, as Jordan had 14 points and Hurtt 10. The Hurricane lead by as many as nine points in the first half at the 0:38 mark, 35-26 on a corner jump shot by Bishop Wheatley.
The Hurricane held onto the lead until Kent State tied the game at 52 with 11:42 left on the clock, but Tulsa wouldn't relinquish the lead to the Golden Flashes until 8:55 when Kent took its' first lead of the second half at 59-58. Kent went up four points, 62-58, at 8:09, but the Hurricane took back the lead at 63-62 on a Hurtt free throw at the 6:28 mark. From that point, the game was tied three more times and the lead never got more than two points when Uzoh's two free throws put Tulsa ahead 65-63 at the 5:41 mark.
From that point in the game, the lead changed nine more times before the final buzzer. Tulsa gave up 47 second-half points to the home team who came into the game averaging 38.6 points in the second half this year.
Tulsa closes the season with a 23-12 record, while Kent State, the Mid-American Conference regular season champion, extended its' record to 24-9 and will play the winner of tonight's Illinois-Stony Brook game.
