Tulsa Falls at Memphis, 92-82

Sunday, February 28

Memphis, Tenn.

3:00 p.m.

Tulsa

19-10, 11-6Amer

Memphis

16-13, 7-9Ameri

Tulsa

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tulsa Falls at Memphis, 92-82

2/28/2016 8:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Eric Hollier

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Shaquille Harrison scored a team-high 20 points, but the shorthanded Tulsa basketball team fell at American Athletic Conference foe Memphis, 92-82, Sunday afternoon at the FedEx Forum.

Four players scored in double figures for the Golden Hurricane (19-10, 11-6 American), including a career-high 15 points by freshman Sterling Taplin. Marquel Curtis matched his season high with 16 points, and James Woodard added 14 points.

Tulsa was without 6-7 forward Rashad Smith, who missed his second straight game with an injury, and TU battled foul trouble throughout the game. The Tigers (16-13, 7-9 American), meanwhile, made 31-of-39 free throws, and were led in scoring by 6-9 forwards Shaq Goodwin and Dedric Lawson, who finished with 28 and 27 points, respectively.

The Hurricane made 19-of-22 foul shots for 86 percent, shot 44 percent from the field, and made 7-of-25 3-pointers. Memphis shot 54 percent from the field, and held a 40-25 rebounding advantage. Playing with limited minutes from its big men due to foul trouble, TU was able to grab just eight second-half rebounds. The four Tulsa guards in double figures combined to score 65 points, and the Hurricane totaled 22 points off 15 turnovers, and received 20 points from the bench. TU also tallied 15 assists, and committed just eight turnovers.

"We played five guards and it made it hard for us. I thought our guards fought like crazy to even give us a chance," Tulsa Head Coach Frank Haith said. "I applaud our guards' effort in terms of competing and fighting against a much bigger and longer and athletic team. We were right there in the first half and it was all because of our guards' effort to keep fighting."

Tulsa battled back from a 10-point deficit in the first half to take a 47-46 lead at the break. TU made just three of its first 13 field goal attempts and trailed 24-14, but then made seven straight field goals and trailed 32-31 with 6:45 to play in the half. During that 17-8 scoring run, which included a 13-3 spurt to tie the game at 27, Taplin knocked down two threes and Harrison scored seven points.

Trailing 35-33, Rashad Ray hit a 3-pointer with 3:50 left to give the Hurricane its first lead since 2-0. Curtis followed with a layup, making it 38-35 with 2:48 to go, and giving TU its largest lead. A Trahson Burrell dunk gave Memphis the lead again, 41-40, but Harrison drove for a layup to make it 42-41 with 11:12 remaining in the half. The teams traded the lead for the final minute, until Woodard knocked down his first 3-pointer in the final seconds to give Tulsa the 47-46 lead at the half.

TU was whistled for 25 fouls in the game, including 17 in the opening period. Memphis was 19-of-27 from the foul line and shot 48 percent from the field in the first half, while the Hurricane shot 52 percent in the period. Tulsa closed the half 14-of-20 from the field.

"It was pretty frustrating out there today, no doubt about it. I thought our guys were really fighting hard," Haith said. "We just didn't have any breaks go our way. They just kind of wore on us a little bit. We just don't have any options. You kind of look down the bench and you didn't have any way to hold in the middle of the road until we could get through it."

The teams traded baskets to begin the second period, and Tulsa knotted the score at 55-55 with 15:58 to play on a layup by Pat Birt, who finished with eight points. Memphis then scored six straight, and went on an 11-4 run to take a 66-59 lead with 11:42 left.

Trailing 68-61, Harrison made a pair of free throws and Taplin converted a layup to pull within 68-65 with 9:48 left. The Hurricane then cut a five-point deficit to 70-69 on a pair of Taplin free throws and a layup by Woodard with 8:37 remaining. The Tigers scored six in a row to move back to a 76-69 lead, and led by eight, 82-74 with 3:54 to play. Harrison and Curtis made back-to-back layups to cut it to four, 82-78, with 2:58 to play, but Memphis ended the game with a 10-4 run.

"It's going to be tough," Haith said on bouncing back to face USF at home on Saturday. "Obviously South Florida is as big as if not bigger than Memphis. Without Smitty, we're just down bodies. It makes it hard for us. There were a lot of plays there where I thought our guys were in good position. The breaks didn't go our way. It was just one of those types of games."

The Golden Hurricane concludes the regular season at home Saturday against USF. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Donald W. Reynolds Center, and the TU senior class will be honored at the game.

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