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Tulsa Opens C-USA Play at UTEP Tonight
1/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2011
EL PASO, Texas - The University of Tulsa basketball team opens Conference USA play tonight at UTEP, at 8 p.m. CT at the Don Haskins Center.
The Golden Hurricane, winners of two straight and three of its last four games, enters league play with a 7-6 record on the season, while UTEP has a 12-3 record. The game will be broadcast on AM 740/102.3 FM in Tulsa. Live video and live audio via Hurricane Vision, as well as live stats, will be available on www.tulsahurricane.com.
Tulsa averages 74.4 points per game while allowing 70.7 points per game. The Golden Hurricane shoots 44 percent from the floor and allows opponents 43 percent shooting. TU out-rebounds foes, 36.5-32.6 rebounds per contest. The Hurricane also shoots 38 percent from three-point territory and has a .708 free-throw percentage.
Four TU players average more than 10.0 points per game this season, led by Justin Hurtt's 21.8 points per game. Steven Idlet averages 14.1 ppg, Scottie Haralson averages 13.2 ppg and Jordan Clarkson averages 12.3 ppg. Idlet shoots 49 percent from the floor, and Hurtt averages 45 percent from the floor and 90 percent shooting from the free throw line. Idlet and Joe Richard lead TU with 6.4 and 5.8 rebounds per game, respectively. Hurtt leads the Hurricane with 36 assists (2.8 apg), and Clarkson averages 2.0 apg.
UTEP averages 73.1 points per game and 36.2 rebounds per game. The Miners shoot 48 percent from the field, have a .360 three-point percentage, and shoot 68 percent from the free throw line. UTEP opponents average 63.5 points per game, a .379 field-goal percentage, .300 percent from long range, and 37.5 rebounds per game. The Miners are led in scoring by guard Randy Culpepper, who averages 18.3 points and 2.9 assists per game. Guard Christian Polk averages 12.2 ppg and 3.4 apg, while forward Jeremy WIlliams averages 10.4 ppg and 6.0 rpg. Guard Julyan Stone adds 9.3 ppg and leads the team with 6.5 rpg and 5.1 apg.
This is the 41st meeting between Tulsa and UTEP. Tulsa leads the series 26-14. The series is tied, 7-7, since both teams moved to Conference USA for the 2005-06 season. UTEP won all three meeting last season, by an average of 12 points. Before the Miners won three times last year Tulsa had won four straight and six of the previous seven meetings between the rivals. During its four-game winning streak, TU won by an average of 11 points per game. The Golden Hurricane holds an, 8-7, lead all-time in games played in El Paso.
For all Tulsa basketball news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane. Become a fan of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane page on Facebook - www.facebook.com/TulsaHurricane.
