Tuesday, January 7
San Antonio, Texas
7 p.m.
Tulsa
7-9,1-2AAC
82
at
77
UTSA
6-8,0-2AAC
1
2
F
Tulsa
29
53
82
UTSA
38
39
77
Tulsa Scores 53 in Second Half of 82-77 Comeback Win at UTSA
1/8/2025 12:18:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of Tulsa trailed by as many as 16 in the second half but fought back to knock off UTSA 82-77 and earn its first conference and road win of the season in front of 1,047 at the Convocation Center on Tuesday evening.
Tulsa (7-9, 1-2 The American) outscored UTSA (6-8, 0-2 The American) 53-39 in the second half after trailing 38-29 at the break. The Roadrunners could not match Tulsa's energy in the final 20 minutes.
After the Hurricane had clawed back into the game, it was the Roadrunners who held a 75-74 lead following an old-fashioned 3-point play with just 39 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Keaston Willis found Tyshawn Archie in the corner for a big 3-pointer that put the Hurricane ahead for good, 77-75.
Tulsa put together a key defensive stop, and Dwon Odom went 3-of-4 from the foul line over the next two possessions as TU led 80-77 with 7.7 seconds left in the game. UTSA tried to bring the ball forward, but Odom caused a turnover, batting a loose ball to Archie who clinched the Tulsa win with an emphatic dunk.
The Hurricane shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 3-point range in the second half, knocking down eight 3-pointers as Tulsa overcame a halftime deficit for the first time this season. Tulsa finished the game shooting 46.4 percent on field goals and 3-pointers, knocking down 13 attempts from long range. This after a first half where Tulsa shot under 30 percent on field goals.
UTSA made 41.5 percent of its efforts and hit 10 3-pointers at a 35.7 percent clip. Both shot free throws well, with Tulsa making 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the charity stripe and UTSA making 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) of its efforts.
The Roadrunners came in as one of the best teams in the nation at turning over opponents and scoring in transition, and that did give the Hurricane trouble at times. UTSA turned 12 Tulsa turnovers into 20 points and added eight steals and 17 fast break points. Tulsa won the battle of the glass 40-31 and both teams had 10 offensive boards.
Tulsa finished with four in double figures, led by 20 from Braeden Carrington. The junior guard scored 17 in the first half and kept the Hurricane going through a rough shooting performance where he made half of Tulsa's eight field goals. Carrington finished with seven rebounds, but an injury cut his day short.
Willis and Archie both had 19 and had big second half performances. Willis scored all 19 of his points in the second half and knocked down five big 3-pointers. Archie knocked down three triples, two in the second half to aid his 12 points in the frame.
Odom picked up his second double-double at Tulsa with 11 points and 10 assists. It was his second double-double in a TU uniform and first with points and assists. Ian Smikle finished with eight points but added 10 rebounds to lead Tulsa on the glass. The freshman continued his high level of play of the past few weeks.
Primo Spears had a massive game for the Roadrunners, leading all scorers with 40 points and adding five assists and three steals. Spears knocked down five 3-pointers and nine free throws, finishing with 13 baskets. Jonnivius Smith was the other Roadrunner to score in double figures with 12.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE FIRST HALF…
Both offenses took a bit to thaw after the opening tip. Tulsa took its first lead 4-2 with free throws at the 16:35 mark, which would remain the score until the 15:44 first media timeout. After making its initial effort from the floor, the Roadrunners missed their next seven as part of a nearly four-minute scoreless streak.
Out of the media break, UTSA threatened to take control with a 12-0 run, forcing a Tulsa timeout. Matt Reed connected on a free throw at 12:26 to end a scoreless drought of 4:09. He then made a jumper in the lane with 11:06 on the clock to end a 13-1 UTSA and an 0-9 shooting streak for TU. It was the first Tulsa field goal since the 19:01 mark and only second of the game. After UTSA scored on its next possession, the Roadrunners led 17-7 with a little more than 10 minutes left in the opening stanza.
Tulsa came out with the energy after another media timeout with 10:37 on the clock. Braeden Carrington knocked down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions off Tyshawn Archie assists. On the ensuing trip down the court, Archie connected on a step back 3-pointer off the feed from Dwon Odom and suddenly the Hurricane was down just one, 17-16 with 9:17 to play.
Archie pushed the run to 11-0 with a pair of free throws before UTSA retook the lead with a 3-pointer.
Tied at 23, the Roadrunners rattled off seven straight to take a 30-23 lead with 4:38 left. Carrington got Tulsa going again six straight points. First, he nailed his fourth triple of the half and then was fouled on a 3-point attempt, making all three at the line to cut the UTSA lead to 30-29 with 2:34 remaining.
From there, it was all UTSA as the Roadrunners scored the final eight points of the half and Tulsa finished 0-of-3 with two turnovers in the waning minutes. The Hurricane went to the lockers down 38-29.
Carrington paced the Hurricane and kept TU in the ballgame with 17 points in the first half. The junior guard knocked down all four of his 3-point attempts, was a perfect 5-of-5 from the line and added five rebounds. Tyshawn Archie added seven points.
As a whole, Tulsa hit just 27.6 percent of its shots, and all five 3-pointers came from Carrington and Archie while the Hurricane shot the long ball at a 31.3 percent clip. UTSA was slightly better at 37.8 percent from the floor and 33.3 on 3-pointers, also making five triples.
IN THE SECOND HALF …
The Roadrunners looked poised to take over early in the second half, outscoring Tulsa 14-7 in the opening 3:18 to take a 52-36 lead. Keaston Willis, who had gone scoreless in the opening frame, knocked down a 3-pointer for his first points early in the period.
Instead of folding, Tulsa started to chip away. A quick 8-0 run cut the lead in half. Archie scored the first five with a 3-pointer and a layup after a steal, and then Willis converted another 3-pointer.
UTSA pushed the lead back into double digits and led by 11 with 10:13 to play when Tulsa struck. Willis scored a quick five with a 3-pointer and then a steal and layup. Reed made a hook shot in the lane, followed by an Odom pull up jumper to get the Hurricane within a score. Willis gave the Hurricane its first lead since more than eight minutes remaining in the half with a 3-pointer. His triple capped a 12-0 run to put TU ahead with 6:58 to play.
Primo Spears responded with a jumper to put UTSA back ahead one, part of his 31 points in the second half. The Roadrunners pushed their lead back to four twice including a Spears 3-point play to go ahead 72-68 right before the final media timeout with 3:57 to play.
Tulsa tied the game at 72 with free throws from Ian Smikle and a Keaston Willis fast break layup. What followed a 2:22 scoring drought as neither team could break the deadlock. Both teams missed multiple free throws in this stretch, a rarity in a ballgame where both teams shot above 75 percent for the evening.
Archie broke the tie with a driving layup to put Tulsa ahead 74-72, but Spears responded with one of his own, drawing a foul call and completing the traditional 3-point play to put the hosts up 75-74 with 39 seconds left.
On the next possession, Willis got to the baseline and whipped a pass to the far corner for Archie, who knocked down a massive triple to put TU ahead 77-75 with 28 ticks on the clock. A big defensive stand forced an errant UTSA shot that went out of bounds. Odom was fouled and made both free throws to put TU ahead by four with 14 seconds left.
The Roadrunners weren't finished, as Spears raced down the court and was fouled with eight seconds remaining. He made both of his foul shots and again Dwon was fouled and went to the line with 7.7 left in the game. Odom missed his first effort but found nothing but net on the next to put TU ahead 80-77.
UTSA attempted to roll the ball up the court, but pressure from Odom caused Spears to lose control. They briefly fought for possession before Odom, diving to the floor, tipped the ball to Archie who took it down and threw down an energetic two-handed dunk to seal the 82-77 win.
Willis scored all 19 of his points in the second half to lead TU in the second half. He knocked down 7-of-10 shots, including five 3-pointers. He played all but 13 seconds of the second half. Odom played all 20 minutes and had 11 points and eight assists in the second half. Archie added 12 points and Ian Smikle scored to go with six rebounds. Braeden Carrington scored three with two rebounds after his big first half but was forced to leave the game with an injury midway through the period.
Tulsa was on fire in the second half, shooting both 66.7 percent from the field and 3-pont range, knocking down 8-of-12 efforts from long range. UTSA also shot better in the second frame, but not near to the same degree, making 46.4 percent of its shots and five 3-pointers at a 38.5 percent clip.
GAME NOTES
• Tulsa improved its series lead to 8-1 over the Roadrunners.
• This was Tulsa's first win in San Antonio against UTSA.
• This was the first time this season Tulsa has won a game it was trailing after the first half.
• Tulsa's 53 second half points tied the Southwestern Christian game for second most in a half by TU this season (scored 54 in second half against MVSU).
• Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and 96th in his career.
• Braeden Carrington scored 20 points for the second time this season and finished in double figures for the fifth time this year … His last game to score in double figures was against Georgia State on Nov. 27.
• Carrington set a career high with five made 3-pointers
• Dwon Odom scored in double figures for the 13th time this season and 65th in his career.
• This was Odom's second double-double at TU and first with assists (10).
• This was Archie's 11th double-figure scoring game of the season and 22nd of his career.
• This was Smikle's second game this season with 10 or more rebounds.
• Jesaiah McWright earned his first start of the season.
• Tulsa is now 1-8 this season after trailing at halftime.
The Golden Hurricane returns home for its next conference matchup on Saturday. Tulsa welcomes Charlotte to the Reynolds Center for a 5 p.m. tipoff set to air on ESPNU.
Tulsa (7-9, 1-2 The American) outscored UTSA (6-8, 0-2 The American) 53-39 in the second half after trailing 38-29 at the break. The Roadrunners could not match Tulsa's energy in the final 20 minutes.
After the Hurricane had clawed back into the game, it was the Roadrunners who held a 75-74 lead following an old-fashioned 3-point play with just 39 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Keaston Willis found Tyshawn Archie in the corner for a big 3-pointer that put the Hurricane ahead for good, 77-75.
Tulsa put together a key defensive stop, and Dwon Odom went 3-of-4 from the foul line over the next two possessions as TU led 80-77 with 7.7 seconds left in the game. UTSA tried to bring the ball forward, but Odom caused a turnover, batting a loose ball to Archie who clinched the Tulsa win with an emphatic dunk.
The Hurricane shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 3-point range in the second half, knocking down eight 3-pointers as Tulsa overcame a halftime deficit for the first time this season. Tulsa finished the game shooting 46.4 percent on field goals and 3-pointers, knocking down 13 attempts from long range. This after a first half where Tulsa shot under 30 percent on field goals.
UTSA made 41.5 percent of its efforts and hit 10 3-pointers at a 35.7 percent clip. Both shot free throws well, with Tulsa making 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the charity stripe and UTSA making 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) of its efforts.
The Roadrunners came in as one of the best teams in the nation at turning over opponents and scoring in transition, and that did give the Hurricane trouble at times. UTSA turned 12 Tulsa turnovers into 20 points and added eight steals and 17 fast break points. Tulsa won the battle of the glass 40-31 and both teams had 10 offensive boards.
Tulsa finished with four in double figures, led by 20 from Braeden Carrington. The junior guard scored 17 in the first half and kept the Hurricane going through a rough shooting performance where he made half of Tulsa's eight field goals. Carrington finished with seven rebounds, but an injury cut his day short.
Willis and Archie both had 19 and had big second half performances. Willis scored all 19 of his points in the second half and knocked down five big 3-pointers. Archie knocked down three triples, two in the second half to aid his 12 points in the frame.
Odom picked up his second double-double at Tulsa with 11 points and 10 assists. It was his second double-double in a TU uniform and first with points and assists. Ian Smikle finished with eight points but added 10 rebounds to lead Tulsa on the glass. The freshman continued his high level of play of the past few weeks.
Primo Spears had a massive game for the Roadrunners, leading all scorers with 40 points and adding five assists and three steals. Spears knocked down five 3-pointers and nine free throws, finishing with 13 baskets. Jonnivius Smith was the other Roadrunner to score in double figures with 12.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE FIRST HALF…
Both offenses took a bit to thaw after the opening tip. Tulsa took its first lead 4-2 with free throws at the 16:35 mark, which would remain the score until the 15:44 first media timeout. After making its initial effort from the floor, the Roadrunners missed their next seven as part of a nearly four-minute scoreless streak.
Out of the media break, UTSA threatened to take control with a 12-0 run, forcing a Tulsa timeout. Matt Reed connected on a free throw at 12:26 to end a scoreless drought of 4:09. He then made a jumper in the lane with 11:06 on the clock to end a 13-1 UTSA and an 0-9 shooting streak for TU. It was the first Tulsa field goal since the 19:01 mark and only second of the game. After UTSA scored on its next possession, the Roadrunners led 17-7 with a little more than 10 minutes left in the opening stanza.
Tulsa came out with the energy after another media timeout with 10:37 on the clock. Braeden Carrington knocked down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions off Tyshawn Archie assists. On the ensuing trip down the court, Archie connected on a step back 3-pointer off the feed from Dwon Odom and suddenly the Hurricane was down just one, 17-16 with 9:17 to play.
Archie pushed the run to 11-0 with a pair of free throws before UTSA retook the lead with a 3-pointer.
Tied at 23, the Roadrunners rattled off seven straight to take a 30-23 lead with 4:38 left. Carrington got Tulsa going again six straight points. First, he nailed his fourth triple of the half and then was fouled on a 3-point attempt, making all three at the line to cut the UTSA lead to 30-29 with 2:34 remaining.
From there, it was all UTSA as the Roadrunners scored the final eight points of the half and Tulsa finished 0-of-3 with two turnovers in the waning minutes. The Hurricane went to the lockers down 38-29.
Carrington paced the Hurricane and kept TU in the ballgame with 17 points in the first half. The junior guard knocked down all four of his 3-point attempts, was a perfect 5-of-5 from the line and added five rebounds. Tyshawn Archie added seven points.
As a whole, Tulsa hit just 27.6 percent of its shots, and all five 3-pointers came from Carrington and Archie while the Hurricane shot the long ball at a 31.3 percent clip. UTSA was slightly better at 37.8 percent from the floor and 33.3 on 3-pointers, also making five triples.
IN THE SECOND HALF …
The Roadrunners looked poised to take over early in the second half, outscoring Tulsa 14-7 in the opening 3:18 to take a 52-36 lead. Keaston Willis, who had gone scoreless in the opening frame, knocked down a 3-pointer for his first points early in the period.
Instead of folding, Tulsa started to chip away. A quick 8-0 run cut the lead in half. Archie scored the first five with a 3-pointer and a layup after a steal, and then Willis converted another 3-pointer.
UTSA pushed the lead back into double digits and led by 11 with 10:13 to play when Tulsa struck. Willis scored a quick five with a 3-pointer and then a steal and layup. Reed made a hook shot in the lane, followed by an Odom pull up jumper to get the Hurricane within a score. Willis gave the Hurricane its first lead since more than eight minutes remaining in the half with a 3-pointer. His triple capped a 12-0 run to put TU ahead with 6:58 to play.
Primo Spears responded with a jumper to put UTSA back ahead one, part of his 31 points in the second half. The Roadrunners pushed their lead back to four twice including a Spears 3-point play to go ahead 72-68 right before the final media timeout with 3:57 to play.
Tulsa tied the game at 72 with free throws from Ian Smikle and a Keaston Willis fast break layup. What followed a 2:22 scoring drought as neither team could break the deadlock. Both teams missed multiple free throws in this stretch, a rarity in a ballgame where both teams shot above 75 percent for the evening.
Archie broke the tie with a driving layup to put Tulsa ahead 74-72, but Spears responded with one of his own, drawing a foul call and completing the traditional 3-point play to put the hosts up 75-74 with 39 seconds left.
On the next possession, Willis got to the baseline and whipped a pass to the far corner for Archie, who knocked down a massive triple to put TU ahead 77-75 with 28 ticks on the clock. A big defensive stand forced an errant UTSA shot that went out of bounds. Odom was fouled and made both free throws to put TU ahead by four with 14 seconds left.
The Roadrunners weren't finished, as Spears raced down the court and was fouled with eight seconds remaining. He made both of his foul shots and again Dwon was fouled and went to the line with 7.7 left in the game. Odom missed his first effort but found nothing but net on the next to put TU ahead 80-77.
UTSA attempted to roll the ball up the court, but pressure from Odom caused Spears to lose control. They briefly fought for possession before Odom, diving to the floor, tipped the ball to Archie who took it down and threw down an energetic two-handed dunk to seal the 82-77 win.
Willis scored all 19 of his points in the second half to lead TU in the second half. He knocked down 7-of-10 shots, including five 3-pointers. He played all but 13 seconds of the second half. Odom played all 20 minutes and had 11 points and eight assists in the second half. Archie added 12 points and Ian Smikle scored to go with six rebounds. Braeden Carrington scored three with two rebounds after his big first half but was forced to leave the game with an injury midway through the period.
Tulsa was on fire in the second half, shooting both 66.7 percent from the field and 3-pont range, knocking down 8-of-12 efforts from long range. UTSA also shot better in the second frame, but not near to the same degree, making 46.4 percent of its shots and five 3-pointers at a 38.5 percent clip.
GAME NOTES
• Tulsa improved its series lead to 8-1 over the Roadrunners.
• This was Tulsa's first win in San Antonio against UTSA.
• This was the first time this season Tulsa has won a game it was trailing after the first half.
• Tulsa's 53 second half points tied the Southwestern Christian game for second most in a half by TU this season (scored 54 in second half against MVSU).
• Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and 96th in his career.
• Braeden Carrington scored 20 points for the second time this season and finished in double figures for the fifth time this year … His last game to score in double figures was against Georgia State on Nov. 27.
• Carrington set a career high with five made 3-pointers
• Dwon Odom scored in double figures for the 13th time this season and 65th in his career.
• This was Odom's second double-double at TU and first with assists (10).
• This was Archie's 11th double-figure scoring game of the season and 22nd of his career.
• This was Smikle's second game this season with 10 or more rebounds.
• Jesaiah McWright earned his first start of the season.
• Tulsa is now 1-8 this season after trailing at halftime.
The Golden Hurricane returns home for its next conference matchup on Saturday. Tulsa welcomes Charlotte to the Reynolds Center for a 5 p.m. tipoff set to air on ESPNU.
Team Stats
Tulsa
UTSA
FG%
.464
.415
3FG%
.464
.357
FT%
.773
.813
RB
40
31
TO
12
6
STL
5
8
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
5
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
5
FTM
0
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballG
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