Tulsa Heads West to Face Boise State

GAME #8: TULSA (4-3, 0-0) vs. BOISE STATE (3-4, 0-0)
Date/Time:	Friday • Dec. 2, 2021 • 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Site:	ExtraMile Arena (12,380) • Boise, Idaho
Coaches:	Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88), 8th Season Boise State - Leon Rice (Washington State '86), 12th Season
TV:	The Mountain West Network
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	12th Meeting (Tulsa Leads 7-4)
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa (PDF) \| Boise State (PDF) \| The American (PDF)

BOISE, Idaho –– The University of Tulsa men's basketball team is on the road for a Friday evening showdown with the Boise State Broncos. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (CT) and the Mountain West Network will carry the game.

Tulsa (4-3) and Boise State (3-4) come in each having lost their last game. Tulsa fell just shy against Oral Roberts 87-80 thanks to an opponent-record 19 three-pointers from the Golden Eagles. Jeriah Horne scored 30 to pace the Golden Hurricane, setting a new career high for the graduate student. Boise State dropped an overtime thriller against Saint Louis 86-82. Despite holding a one-point lead with less than a minute remaining, the Broncos couldn't hold on. Abu Kigab led the Broncos with 27 points and three steals.

Friday will mark the 12th meeting between Tulsa and Boise State. Tulsa leads the all-time series 7-4, but the Broncos hold a 3-1 advantage in games played in Boise, Idaho. Tulsa's lone win as a visitor came on Feb. 7, 2002, 70-56, as members of the WAC. The Hurricane would go on to sweep the series season, including a game in the conference tournament. TU won the last matchup between these two teams 69-56 in the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Dec. 11, 2019.

Horne leads the Hurricane in scoring, averaging 19.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game headed into Friday's contest. The 6'7 forward was named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll earlier this week, his second time to earn the selection this season. He followed with the terrific performance against Oral Roberts.

Sam Griffin snapped his streak of double figure scoring this season with the loss to ORU, finishing with eight. The sophomore guard averages 16.0 points per game, the only other Hurricane to average in double figures. He and Horne have combined to hit 34 of Tulsa's 52 three pointers this season.

Boise State enters on a two-game losing streak, falling to Saint Louis in Overtime and CSU-Bakersfield 46-39 a few days prior. The Broncos do tout back-to-back wins against fellow AAC member Temple and the SEC's Ole Miss.

Free throw shooting has hurt the Broncos in their losses. Against Saint Louis, the Broncos got to the line 26 times, but hit only 12 of their free throws (46.2 percent), while the Bilikens knocked down 30-of-34 (88.2 percent). In its previous four games, Boise State has only shot better than 50 percent from the foul line once, shooting 7-13 (53.8 percent) against CSU-Bakersfield. On the Season, the Broncos are 66-117 (56.4 percent).

Kigab paces the Broncos with 12.7 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounds, pulling down 7.0 per game. Joining him in double-figures are Emmanuel Akot (12.0) and Marcus Shaver Jr. (10.2). Akot is a deep threat for Boise State, shooting at a 15-33 (.455) clip from beyond the arc

Following Friday night's game, the Hurricane return home for a three-game homestand starting with an ESPNU broadcast on Tuesday evening against Loyola Marymount. Then Southern Illinois visits on Dec. 11 before Tulsa closes against Alcorn State. Tipoff for Tuesday's game is set for 8:00 p.m. (CT).

Tulsa Heads West to Face Boise State

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Players Mentioned

Sam Griffin

Jeriah Horne