Golden Hurricane Ready for First Road Test

GAME #4: Tulsa (3-0, 0-0 AAC) at Missouri State (1-1, 0-0 MVC)
Date/Time:	Saturday • November 15, 2024 • 1:00 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Great Southern Bank Arena (11,000) • Springfield, Mo.
Coaches:	Tulsa – Eric Konkol (Wisconsin-Eau Claire, '00), 3rd Season Missouri State – Cuonzo Martin (Purdue '00), 4th Season
TV:	ESPN+ \| Tom Ladd (PxP) and Don West (Analyst)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM / Varsity Sports App (Bruce Howard & JR Rollo)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	43rd Meeting \| Series Tied 21-21
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. –– Fresh off the Mayor's Cup victory on Wednesday, the University of Tulsa men's basketball team is on its first road trip of the season as the Golden Hurricane faces an old Missouri Valley Conference foe in Missouri State on Saturday afternoon in Great Southern Bank Arena.

Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will air on ESPN+ with Tom Ladd and Don West on the call. Fans can also catch the contest on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Varsity Network app. Bruce Howard and JR Rollo will call the action.

There have been 42 games in the series between the Hurricane and Bears dating back to a pair of meetings in 1932, and the series is evenly split 21 apiece. Tulsa evened the record with a comeback 73-72 win a season ago. The Bears led by 10 with just under six minutes to play, but Tulsa outscored Missouri State 16-5 down the stretch to capture the win.

Tulsa enters Saturday's matchup 3-0 for the second consecutive season after reclaiming the Mayor's Cup 85-76 on Wednesday. It was Tulsa's first win over ORU since 2019, snapping a three-game losing streak against the crosstown rivals. Keaston Willis scored 22 to lead four Golden Hurricane who finished in double-figures. Tulsa took its first lead midway through the first half and never looked back, building a lead that reached 20 multiple times in the second half.

After his 22 points, Willis is averaging a team leading 18.7 per game. He continues to shoot better than 50 percent from 3-point range. Isaiah Barnes is hitting 46 percent of his triples and 47 percent of all field goals while averaging 17 points per game. Dwon Odom (13.7) and Tyshawn Archie (13.0) are the others to average in double figure scoring.

Willis also leads the team on the glass, pulling down 6.3 per contest. Braeden Carrington is right behind him at 6.0 rebounds to go with his 9.3 points.

As a team, Tulsa is averaging 90 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 34 on the long ball. The Hurricane has 50 assists to just 21 turnovers through three games.

Missouri State is 1-1 on the season as the Bears enter game two of a three-game homestand. They opened the season with a 72-65 road loss at Butler. In their home opener on Monday, Missouri State took it to Missouri Southern, winning 90-61. The Bears recorded 14 steals in the win, tying a record at Great Southern Bank Arena.

After not scoring in the season opener, Vincent Brady went off for 21 in the Monday win. Dez White dropped 21 at Butler and 16 against Missouri Southern, giving him a team-leading 18.5 scoring average. Michael Osei-Bonsu has done the most damage on the glass, averaging 9.5 per game.

Following Saturday's game, the Golden Hurricane return home to face Little Rock on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.

Golden Hurricane Ready for First Road Test

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Players Mentioned

Tyshawn Archie

Isaiah Barnes

Braeden Carrington

Dwon Odom

Keaston Willis