Golden Hurricane Women Conquer Wichita State 56-42

Saturday, February 1

Tulsa, Okla.

2:00 p.m.

Tulsa

11-11,5-5AAC

Wichita State

7-16,1-9AAC

Wichita St.

Tulsa

Photo by: Joshua Rogers

Golden Hurricane Women Conquer Wichita State 56-42

2/1/2025 5:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa women's basketball team secured a steady 56-42 victory over longtime rival Wichita State Saturday afternoon in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. The Golden Hurricane used an early lead and strong defensive play to even their record at 11-11 overall and 5-5 in American Athletic Conference play, while Wichita State dropped to 7-16 and 1-9 in league action.

Sophomore Elise Hill led Tulsa's offense with a game-high 20 points, connecting on five 3-pointers to pace the Hurricane. Delanie Crawford added 13 points, while Hadley Periman recorded her fifth double-double this season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

"Coach Angie always talks about just letting the game work for you. I felt like the game was working for me today, and then I trusted my teammates," said Hill.

Tulsa jumped ahead early, building a 20-13 lead after the first quarter behind Hill's perimeter shooting. The team extended its advantage to 35-27 at halftime, maintaining a firm grip on the game with disciplined defense and ball movement. Wichita State struggled to find offensive rhythm, managing only seven points in the third quarter as Tulsa widened the gap to 47-34.

The Hurricane held the Shockers to 30.2% shooting from the field (16-53) and just 18.2% from 3-point range (2-11), forcing 20 turnovers and converting them into 10 points. Tulsa's defense limited Wichita State's top scorer, Jayla Murray, despite her 18-point effort, while keeping the rest of the Shockers largely in check.

Tulsa's depth played a role in the win, as nine different players contributed on the scoresheet. The Hurricane outshot the Shockers 9-2 in 3-pointers.

During the game, Crawford moved to third on the all-time TU points leaderboard with 1,562 points, passing Temira Poindexter's (2021-24) 1,560 points. She also became No. 9 on the career assists chart with 288 in her four-year career.

"Really proud of our team," said Head Coach Angie Nelp. "Really proud of our heart. This game was such a game of different runs at different times. And I was really proud of our team in the way that we withstood some of their runs, but also the way that we capitalized on our own runs. We had several players in double figures with Elise [Hill] having at least 17 points in the first half. That's amazing. That's incredible. She was a huge spark to us to be able to get out to that early lead and kind of compete quite a bit in that first half. You look at Delanie Crawford, 13 points and 6 assists, being able to distribute the ball the way she did was key for us. And then you look at Hadley, seven of her 12 points came in that fourth quarter, kind of during those critical times when they were trying to make their way back to us. Great contributions all the way around from our entire team."

HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE FIRST QUARTER . . .
Tulsa came out strong, establishing an early lead with efficient shooting and strong ball movement. Elise Hill set the tone with her perimeter shooting, knocking down multiple three-pointers to fuel a 20-13 advantage and finished with nine points with Delanie Crawford. The Hurricane capitalized on Wichita State's turnovers and converted them into transition points. Defensively, Tulsa applied pressure to disrupt the Shockers' offensive flow, limiting their clean looks at the basket.

IN THE SECOND QUARTER . . .
Wichita State made some adjustments and kept the game within reach, but Tulsa's discipline on both ends of the floor ensured control of the game. The Hurricane continued their strong outside shooting while also finding ways to score inside. Hadley Periman asserted herself with three rebounds, securing second-chance opportunities. Despite a more balanced scoring quarter, Tulsa edged Wichita State 15-14, heading into halftime with a 35-27 lead.

By halftime, TU was shooting 43.3% from the field (13-30), 42.9% in threes (6-14) and 37.55 from the line (3-8), while the Shockers were 38.5% in field goal shooting (10-26), 20% from deep (1-5) and 85.7% from the charity line (6-7).

IN THE THIRD QUARTER . . .
Tulsa's defense took over in the third quarter, holding Wichita State to just seven points. The Hurricane intensified their on-ball pressure and forced the Shockers into difficult, contested shots. TU's offense scored 12 points with key baskets made by Hadley Periman and Delanie Crawford. Tulsa controlled the pace, slowing the game down to maintain their comfortable advantage. By the end of the quarter, they had built a 47-34 lead, putting themselves in position for a strong finish.

IN THE FOURTH QUARTER . . .
With a double-digit lead, Tulsa focused on closing out the game with smart possessions and defensive stops. Wichita State attempted to mount a comeback but struggled to gain any real momentum against Tulsa's disciplined defense. The Golden Hurricane continued to execute offensively, getting contributions from multiple players. They held the Shockers to just eight points in the final period and secured a well-rounded 56-42 victory.

GAME NOTES

Tulsa got its 10^th win over Wichita State, moving the series to 23-10 Shockers.
The Hurricane continues to be deadly in the Donald W. Reynolds Center under fourth-year head coach Angie Nelp, moving to 9-3 in T-Town this season.
TU is 24-5 at home since the start of last season, 35-9 since 2022-23 and 43-14 since Nelp joined the program.
Tulsa held Wichita State to just 15 points in the second half, a season-low in a half by an opponent this season.
42 total points is also a season-low by an opponent this season.
The Hurricane defense held the Shockers to only five assists, the lowest tally since the Chicago State (3) game on Nov. 27, 2024.
Sophomore Elise Hill led TU in scoring for a sixth time this season.
Hill's 20 points marks her second 20+ scoring game this season and her career. It also makes for her 13^th double-figure contest and 16^th of her career.
Junior Hadley Periman finished with 12 points and 10 boards for her fifth double-double of the season and her career.
It's Periman's eighth time this season scoring over 10 points and ninth time in her career.
In addition, 10 rebounds mark her sixth double-digit rebounding game and 13^th of her career.
Senior Delanie Crawford came away with 13 points for her 19^th double-figure scoring game this year and 78^th of her career.
Crawford led with six assists for her sixth game this season leading the Hurricane.
Crawford's 13 points moved her to 1,562 career points, passing Temira Poindexter's (2021-24) 1,560 points for third on the Tulsa career points list.
Crawford stands at No. 6 in the all-time field-goals-made career chart for TU with 539 after recording five on Saturday. She needs 31 more to pass Poindexter's 569 baskets for fifth.
Crawford has 288 career assists, passing Kelsee Grovey (2012-16) for ninth all-time.
Lastly, Crawford maintains an .814 career free throw percentage, the ninth-best in Tulsa history. She also has the ninth-most free throws under her belt with 245.
Periman had one block Saturday to move her to 114 in her career. She needs seven to pass Megan Moody (2002-06) for sixth on the all-time TU blocks chart.

The Hurricane will hit the road for a pair of contests in North Carolina, starting with Charlotte (7-13, 2-7 AAC) on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 p.m. Central, and finishing with a tilt at East Carolina (11-10, 3-6 AAC) on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m.