Tulsa vs. Iona: MBB Game 9 Preview

TULSA (5-3) vs. IONA (3-2)
Date/Time:	Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 • 8:05 p.m.
Site:	Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,355)
Coaches:	Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88) – 28-14, 2nd year Iona – Tim Cluess (Hofstra '83) – 147-65, 6th year
TV:	American Sports Network/ESPN3.com (Dave Armstrong and Paul Hewitt)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard and J.R. Rollo)
Live Stats:	TulsaHurricane.com
Series:	First Meeting
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Iona

TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa men's basketball team welcomes Iona College to the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Tuesday, when the Golden Hurricane the Gaels tip-off at 8 p.m.

This will be the first meeting in basketball between Tulsa (5-3) and Iona (3-2). TU is looking to get back in the win column after dropping its last game to Oral Roberts, 70-68, on Saturday. Iona defeated Fairfield, 101-77, and Marist, 101-66, in its last two contests.

The game will be broadcast on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network, and televised on the American Sports Network and ESPN3.com.

About Iona College
The Gaels have won three in a row since dropping their first two games of the season. After falling at Valparaiso (83-58) and Oregon State (93-73), Iona defeated Delaware (92-77), Fairfield (101-77) and Marist (101-66). Iona averages 85.0 points and 34.2 rebounds per game, as well as a .452 field goal and .405 3-point percentage, while allowing 79.2 ppg, 38.2 rpg, a .452 field goal and a .369 3-point percentage. A.J. English averages 23.8 points and 7.0 assists per game, and 22 of his 32 field goals have been threes. Jordan Washington, Deyshonee Much and Isaiah Williams average 13.0, 2.6 and 10.6 points, respectively.

Tulsa Statistical Leaders
Shaquille Harrison leads the Golden Hurricane with 19.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. James Woodard averages 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 3-pointers per game. Marquel Curtis and Pat Birt average 9.6 and 9.1 points off the bench, respectively, and Curtis leads TU with 2.6 assists per contest. Tulsa averages 75.1 ppg, 35.0 rpg, a .439 field goal percentage, .337 3-point pct. and a .709 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 71.0 ppg, 33.6 rpg, a .432 field goal pct. and a .378 3-point pct.

Quick Hits
• This is Tulsa's third game in seven days. TU played at Oklahoma State on Dec. 2 (W, 66-56), and at home against Oral Roberts on Dec. 5 (L, 70-68).
• Tulsa fell to Oral Roberts on Saturday, 70-68. Shaquille Harrison led the Hurricane with 18 points, and Pat Birt and James Woodard each scored 12 points.
• Tulsa is 2-2 at home this season, but has dropped its last two home contests. TU will look to turn that streak around on Tuesday against Iona.
• Harrison ranks third in the NCAA in getting to the free throw line. He has 88 attempts (11 per game), and ranks eighth in made free throws (56). As a team, the Golden Hurricane ranks 28th in the NCAA in free throw attempts with 220 (27.5 per game) and 25th in made free throws with 156.
• The Tulsa bench averages 25.9 points per game, and has accounted for 34 percent of the team's total points this season. The Hurricane is led by Marquel Curtis (9.6 ppg) and Pat Birt (9.2) off the bench. Brandon Swannegan contributes 5.5 points per game off the bench. Curtis plays 27.8 minutes, Birt averages 21.9 minutes, and Swannegan averages 16.4 minutes per game off the bench.
• Harrison is on the 2016 Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List, released by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Dec. 2
• 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.
• Woodard ranks eighth in TU career scoring with 1,532 points, and sixth with 204 career 3-pointers. He needs 10 points to match Justin Hurtt (2007-11) for seventh place.
• Harrison ranks fourth at TU with 202 career steals, and fifth with 347 career assists. He needs 20 steals to match Shea Seals (1993-97) for fourth place.
• Brandon Swannegan has 127 career blocks, ranking fifth in TU history. He needs nine blocks to match Eric Coley (1996-00) for fourth place.
• 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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Tulsa vs. Iona: MBB Game 9 Preview

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Players Mentioned

Pat Birt

Marquel Curtis

Shaquille Harrison

Brandon Swannegan

James Woodard