Solid Second Half Spurs Tulsa to 65-58 Win Over Wichita State

Sunday, February 6

Wichita, Kan.

2:00 pm

Tulsa

14-5,4-4AAC

Wichita State

11-10,2-6AAC

Tulsa

Wichita St.

Solid Second Half Spurs Tulsa to 65-58 Win Over Wichita State

2/6/2022 4:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

After scoring just 22 points in the first half, Tulsa outscored Wichita State 43-28, in the second half to claim a 65-58 win on Sunday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan. The Golden Hurricane moved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Shockers fell to 11-10 overall and 2-6 in the league.

After 19 games, Tulsa has already reached its most wins (14) in the last eight years, the most in a season since finishing 18-14 in the 2014-15 season.

"It was a tough game and a little too close for comfort, but our girls fought hard and battled through the adversity," Head Coach Angie Nelp said. "When this team sticks together and plays as hard as they did today that is all you can ask for and I'm just grateful that I get to be a part of this team. At halftime, we talked about confidence and continuing to believe in each other and that the baskets would fall in the second half and they did."

Temira Poindexter had a team-best 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, while Maddie Bittle added 16 points and Maya Mayberry scored 10. Wyvette Mayberry and Rebecca Lescay both had a team-best three assists.

Wichita State had a 44-40 lead in rebounds, a 15-11 advantage in assists and a 5-2 edge in blocks, while both teams had three steals.

Tulsa shot a just 21-percent from the field and 23-percent from behind the arc in the first half, but turned it around for 45-percent from the field and 45-percent from three-point range in the second half to finish the game shooting 40-percent overall. TU also hit 11-of-14 free throw attempts for 78-percent.

TU's 39 three-point field goal attempts is a new school record, topping the previous most (34) set against UConn on January 17, 2017.

WSU was 35-percent from the field, 21-percent from behind the arc and 73-percent from the line in the contest.

Tulsa and Wichita State combined for just 2-of-16 from the field in the first five minutes of the game as TU owned a 4-2 advantage with 4:53 on the clock, and the Hurricane ended the frame with an 11-6 advantage.

TU was 4-of-19 from the field for 21-percent and went 1-of-10 from three-point range in the quarter with Maya Mayberry hitting the lone trey at the 2:52 mark, while the Shockers hit 25-percent of their attempts, including 0-of-2 from behind the arc, and missed their one free throw attempt in the quarter.

Delanie Crawford scored a layup for the Hurricane, giving TU a 13-6 advantage, to start the second quarter, but WSU scored the next 13 points to take a 19-13 lead with 4:54 on the clock. Jessika Evans ended TU's scoring drought with a jumper at the 4:24 mark, but Wichita State outscored Tulsa, 11-7, to close out the first half with a 30-22 lead.

TU was just 22-percent from the field in the first half, including 5.3-percent (1-of-19) from behind the arc, and hit 71-percent of their free throw attempts. WSU more than doubled their field goal percentage from the first to second quarters to shoot 41-percent from the field, 33-percent from behind the arc, and 88-percent from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes.

Poindexter came out and hit two big three's to start the third quarter for Tulsa, pulling TU to within two, 30-28, at the 8:32 mark. She then hit a trey at the 6:03 mark to tie the game at 34-all, and TU took the lead on a three-point basket by Maya Mayberry with 4:56 to play in the frame.

The Golden Hurricane climbed to a seven-point advantage, 43-36, but the Shockers chipped away at the deficit to trail by just one, 43-42, with 1:47 remaining in the quarter. Both teams scored just one more basket each to begin the fourth quarter tied, 45-45.

There were five lead changes and three tied scores in the fourth quarter with the largest advantage in the frame being the final score difference of seven points.

Wichita State was led by Asia Strong with 15 points, while Trajata Colbert scored 14 and Seraphine Bastin had 12. Jane Asinde pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds and had three blocks.

Tulsa will return to action on Saturday, February 12 against Temple beginning at 1:00 pm at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.