Tulsa vs. Oregon State Today: MBB Game 11 Preview

Saturday, December 19

Portland, Ore.

10:00 p.m.

Tulsa

Oregon State

Tulsa vs. Oregon State Today: MBB Game 11 Preview

12/17/2015 6:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Eric Hollier

TULSA (7-3) vs. OREGON STATE (6-2)
Date/Time:	Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015 • 8 p.m. PT/10 p.m. CT
Site:	Moda Center (19,980)
Coaches:	Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88) – 30-14, 2nd year Oregon State – Wayne Tinkle (Montana '05) – 23-16, 2nd year
TV:	Pac-12 Network (J.B. Long and Lamar Hurd)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard and J.R. Rollo)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	Tulsa leads, 1-0
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Oregon State

TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa men's basketball team will face Oregon State in Portland, Ore., at 10 p.m. CT Saturday as part of the Far West Classic Invitational at the Moda Center.

The Golden Hurricane (7-3) has won two games in a row – 90-81 over Iona and 70-61 at Missouri State. The Beavers (6-2) have won two of their last three games, with wins over Loyola Marymount (79-70) and Nevada (66-62) before a loss to Kansas (82-67) in Kansas City. Tulsa is playing its first game in six days, after a break for final exams. This game is part of the two-day Far West Classic Invitational at the Moda Center, home of the NBA Portland Trail Blazers. Oregon State plays Cal State Fullerton on Friday.

The game will be broadcast on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network, and televised on the Pac-12 Network. Pac-12 Network is available on Cox Cable, AT&T UVerse and DISH, with the proper subscriptions.

The Series
This will be the second meeting Tulsa and Oregon State. Tulsa leads the series, 1-0. The Golden Hurricane defeated the Beavers, 59-57, on Dec. 23, 1998 at the Pearl Harbor Classic in Kahuku, Hawai'i.

About Oregon State
Oregon State will face Cal State Fullerton on Friday, before playing Tulsa on Saturday. The Beavers average 73.0 points and 36.5 rebounds per game, as well as a .453 field goal and .405 3-point percentage, while allowing 66.2 ppg, 35.9 rpg, a .395 field goal and a .304 3-point percentage. Gary Payton II leads OSU with 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Stephen Thompson and Tres Tinkle each average 10.4 points per contest, while Drew Eubanks adds 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing.

Tulsa Statistical Leaders
Shaquille Harrison leads the Golden Hurricane with 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. James Woodard averages 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 3-pointers per game. Pat Birt and Marquel Curtis average 9.1 and 8.4 points off the bench, respectively, and Curtis adds 2.5 assists per contest. Tulsa averages 76.1 ppg, 35.5 rpg, a .446 field goal percentage, .343 3-point pct. and a .687 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 71.0 ppg, 35.0 rpg, a .417 field goal pct. and a .363 3-point pct.

Quick Hits
• After playing three games in seven days to open December, Tulsa has played one game in the last 10 days, and has had five days off since its last contest on Dec. 13.
• Tulsa defeated Missouri State, 70-61, Sunday in Springfield, Mo. James Woodard led the Golden Hurricane with 20 points, while Rashad Smith scored 12 points and Shaquille Harrison tallied 11 points.
• Through 10 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.1 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 129 assists to 113 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 10 games, the Hurricane had 108 assists-136 turnovers–0.8 ratio.
• Tulsa's 7-3 record is its best through 10 games since the 2009-10 team started the season 9-1.
• Tulsa is 2-1 in neutral-site games this season, which all came at Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Hurricane is 2-0 on the road this season, with wins at Oklahoma State on Dec. 2 and Missouri State on Dec. 13
• Harrison ranks second in the NCAA in getting to the free throw line. He has 106 attempts (10.6 per game), and ranks sixth in made free throws (66). Harrison also ranks 54th in the nation in scoring (18.8 ppg) and 37th in steals (2.2 spg).
• The Tulsa bench averages 25.6 points per game, and has accounted for 34 percent of the team's total points this season. The Hurricane is led by Pat Birt (9.1) and Marquel Curtis (8.4 ppg) off the bench. Brandon Swannegan contributes 5.8 points per game off the bench.
• Woodard ranks seventh in TU career scoring with 1,573 points, and sixth with 212 career 3-pointers. He needs four points to match Kevin Johnson (1999-03) for sixth place.
• Harrison ranks fourth at TU with 206 career steals, and fifth with 356 career assists. He needs 16 steals to match Shea Seals (1993-97) for fourth place.
• Brandon Swannegan has 128 career blocks, ranking fifth in TU history. He needs eight blocks to match Eric Coley (1996-00) for fourth place.
• Harrison is on the 2016 Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List, from the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
• Harrison has been nominated for the Allstate NABC Good Works Team, which recognizes players at all levels of college basketball who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement.
• Harrison was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 23. TU nabbed the first two conference weekly honors of the season. Woodard won the award on Nov. 16.
• Tulsa is playing this season with nine seniors – the most seniors on one roster in the country.
• The Hurricane returned 97 percent of its scoring and 98 percent of its minutes to the team in 2015-16 – one of only five schools in the country to return at least 90 percent of its scoring and minutes this year.
• The Golden Hurricane is in its second season as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
• 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.

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