Sunday, January 4
Denton, Texas
3 p.m.
Tulsa
at
North Texas
Tulsa Hits the Road Eyeing 11th Straight Win
1/3/2026 11:27:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DENTON, Texas — The Tulsa men's basketball team looks to continue its longest winning streak in over a decade when they hit the road to take on North Texas on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Super Pit in Denton. The Golden Hurricane have won 10 in a row and are off to the fourth best start in program history.
Date/Time: January 4, 2026 / 3 PM
Site: Denton, Texas
Arena: Super Pit (10,500)
Radio: 95.5 FM Big Country, Learfield Network affiliates, and Varsity Network App
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp) & J.R. Rollo (analyst)
Video: ESPN+
Talent: Owen Simpson (pxp) & DJ Draper (analyst)
Social Updates: @TUMBasketball | #ReignCane
History: Tulsa leads, 40-15
In Denton: Tulsa leads, 17-12
Streak: North Texas, W3
MEDIA CENTRAL
STORY LINES
• Tulsa is riding a 10-game winning streak, the program's longest since the 2014-15 season when they won 12 straight. It's the longest winning streak of head coach Eric Konkol's career.
• Tulsa went undefeated in the month of December. It's the team's first perfect month since January 2015 when the Golden Hurricane went 7-0 as part of that 12-game winning streak. The program last went undefeated in the month of December in 1983 when Nolan Richardson's squad went 7-0 before finishing the season 27-4.
• Tulsa has scored 80-plus points in seven straight games for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
• Tulsa is one of four programs with 13 games with 80-plus points, tied for the second most in the country. High Point and Murray State lead with 14, while Gonzaga also has 13.
• The program record for 80-plus point games is 21 set in 1983-84. Tulsa
• Tulsa is 13-1 for the first time since 1999-00 (20-1) and for the fourth time in program history. The program also started 13-1 or better in 83-84 (14-1) and 68-69 (15-1).
• Tulsa won their American Conference opener on Wednesday for the first time since the 2019-20 season in a 97-48 win over Rice.
• It was Tulsa's largest win ever in a conference game (49 points) and the best three-point shooting performance in Reynolds Center history (13-for-19, .684). It was the second-largest margin of victory in an American Conference league game ever and the seventh-best three-point shooting game in league history.
• Jaylen Lawal was electric with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting and was 5-of-6 from three. He is the only freshman in the country this season with a game with 25 points, five or more made threes, and shot .750 from the field. He is one of just six players to reach that stat line off the bench this year and did so in the fifth fewest minutes of the 40 such games.
SERIES HISTORY
• This is the 56th meeting between the programs, Tulsa leads 40-15 all-time.
• North Texas has won the last three in the series.
• This is the fourth straight regular season meeting played in Denton.
• Eric Konkol is 9-9 in his career against North Texas.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• North Texas is 9-5 in the first season under Daniyal Robinson.
• The Mean Green fell in its American Conference opener at Memphis, 57-48.
• UNT is 11th in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 63.1 points per game. They are 18th in the nation in three-point percentage defense (.282) and 22nd in turnovers forced per game (15.9).
SEASON NOTABLES
• Head coach Eric Konkol reached 200 wins for his career in a 97-48 win over Rice.
• Tulsa won the Mayor's Cup despite Oral Roberts shooting .500 percent from the field and making 14 threes. Since the 2004-05 season per Stathead, it is Tulsa's first road win in which the opponent shot .500 percent or better from the field and made 10 or more threes. Last season, teams were 839-13 (.985) at home, shooting .500 percent or better from the field, and made more than 10 threes.
• The Golden Hurricane won their first in-season tournament, the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, since 2002 with a 63-60 victory over Northern Iowa.
• The Golden Hurricane have played three one-point games this season, with two in back-to-back games (Oral Roberts and Kansas State). It was the team's first back-to-back one-point finishes since 2011. The team is 2-1 in one-point games this season. It's the team's most one-point games since 2008-09.
• Tulsa's 117-point performance against UAPB set a new Reynolds Center facility record for points in a game. It was the ninth-most points in a game in school history and is the program's first game with 115-plus points since 2000.
• Three opponents on the schedule are new to the Golden Hurricane men's basketball program, Oklahoma Christian, Manhattan Christian, and Denver.
• Tulsa received their highest ever NET ranking in the first batch of rankings, released on Dec. 1 at No. 27 in the country. The program's previous high was No. 52 back in 2020-21. Last season the Golden Hurricane finished ranked No. 271.
• Tulsa is 4-0 in coaches challenges this season.
OVER 80
• Tulsa got off to a terrific start offensively, scoring 80+ points in each of the first six contests.
• It was the program's longest such streak since the 2001-02 season, a streak of seven games. That team would score 80+ points 19 times.
• The program's single season record is 21 times, set back in 1983-84, under head coach Nolan Richardson.
• Tulsa has averaged 80 or more points in a season 14 times but not since 2001-02.
• Tulsa has three games scoring 100-plus points this season, their most 100-point performances in a year since 1995-96.
• Last season the Golden Hurricane scored 80-plus points 10 times, already surpassing that total with 13.
• The only school to hold Tulsa under 80 points is Northern Iowa, who at 57.9 points per game is second nationally in defense.
• Tulsa's top five scoring seasons by points per game with head coach and final record:
• 1983-84 (Nolan Ricardson, 27-4) - 90.8
• 2025-26 (Eric Konkol, 13-1) - 89.9*
• 1972-73 (Ken Hayes, 18-8) - 85.3
• 1970-71 (Ken Hayes, 17-9) - 84.2
• 1993-93 (Tubby Smith, 23-8) - 83.4
SPREADING THE LOVE
• Tulsa has had at least 15 assists in 12 of 14 games of the season. The Golden Hurricane reached that mark just 12 times last season.
• Thrice this season Tulsa has had at least 20 assists in a game, tying a school record also set in 1993-94, 2015-16, 2018-19, and 2020-21.
• Tulsa has assisted on .566 of made field goals this season, 235-of-415.
• All 10 regulars in the Golden Hurricane rotation have had at least one game with 10 or more points.
LONGEVITY IN THE LEAGUE
• Head coach Eric Konkol is in his fourth season with the Golden Hurricane.
• Konkol entered the year tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in the American Conference.
• Only Penny Hardaway (Memphis, 8th season), Ron Hunter (Tulane, 7th season), and Andy Kennedy (UAB, 6th season) have been in the league longer.
• East Carolina head coach, and former Tulsa assistant, Michael Scwartz, is also entering his fourth season leading his program.
EFFICIENT OFFENSE
• Tulsa has been one of the best team's metrically in the country.
• Tulsa has five players that are +100 or better this season when they are on the floor. Ade Popoola (+134), David Green (+132), Tyler Behrend (+121), Miles Barnstable (+119), and Tylen Riley (+118).
• Per KenPom, Tulsa is third in the country in three-point shooting at .417 percent against D1 opponents.
• Tulsa is 22nd in the country in points per game (88.9), 20th in scoring margin (19.9), 12th in three-point percentage (.398), 12th in free throw percentage (.781), and tied for 15th with 11.0 threes per game.
• The Golden Hurricane bench has been terrific, averaging 32.8 points per game, the 48th best mark in the country. Only Memphis (33.4) averages more in the American.
• Tulsa leads the American Conference in point differential (19.9), field goal percentage (.492), three-point percentage (.398), threes per game (11.0), free throw percentage (.781), rebound margin (9.8), and assist to turnover ratio (1.64).
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY TOO
• While the offense is receiving the headlines, the Tulsa defense has been strong this season too.
• Tulsa is allowing just 69.9 points per game, the third fewest in the American Conference and a top 100 defense in the country.
• They are holding opponents to a .413 shooting percentage, third in the American and 83rd in the country.
• The Golden Hurricane are also tied with UAB for the league lead in defensive rebounds at 27.6 per game.
LAST TIME OUT
• Tulsa was in complete control in a 97-48 win over Rice.
• It was the program's largest margin of victory in a conference game ever and the best three-point shooting performance in Reynolds Center history (13-of-19, .684).
• It was the second largest margin of victory in an American Conference league game (Houston over East Carolina, 109-58 on Feb. 25, 2018).
• Jaylen Lawal was electric with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting and was 5-of-6 from three. He is the only freshman in the country this season with a game with 25 points, five or more made threes, and shot .750 from the field.
• It was the fewest points Tulsa has allowed in a conference game since holding South Floirda to 45 on Jan. 29, 2022.
UP NEXT
• Tulsa returns home to face South Florida on Saturday in the Reynolds Center.
Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans can also follow the team on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Date/Time: January 4, 2026 / 3 PM
Site: Denton, Texas
Arena: Super Pit (10,500)
Radio: 95.5 FM Big Country, Learfield Network affiliates, and Varsity Network App
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp) & J.R. Rollo (analyst)
Video: ESPN+
Talent: Owen Simpson (pxp) & DJ Draper (analyst)
Social Updates: @TUMBasketball | #ReignCane
History: Tulsa leads, 40-15
In Denton: Tulsa leads, 17-12
Streak: North Texas, W3
MEDIA CENTRAL
STORY LINES
• Tulsa is riding a 10-game winning streak, the program's longest since the 2014-15 season when they won 12 straight. It's the longest winning streak of head coach Eric Konkol's career.
• Tulsa went undefeated in the month of December. It's the team's first perfect month since January 2015 when the Golden Hurricane went 7-0 as part of that 12-game winning streak. The program last went undefeated in the month of December in 1983 when Nolan Richardson's squad went 7-0 before finishing the season 27-4.
• Tulsa has scored 80-plus points in seven straight games for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
• Tulsa is one of four programs with 13 games with 80-plus points, tied for the second most in the country. High Point and Murray State lead with 14, while Gonzaga also has 13.
• The program record for 80-plus point games is 21 set in 1983-84. Tulsa
• Tulsa is 13-1 for the first time since 1999-00 (20-1) and for the fourth time in program history. The program also started 13-1 or better in 83-84 (14-1) and 68-69 (15-1).
• Tulsa won their American Conference opener on Wednesday for the first time since the 2019-20 season in a 97-48 win over Rice.
• It was Tulsa's largest win ever in a conference game (49 points) and the best three-point shooting performance in Reynolds Center history (13-for-19, .684). It was the second-largest margin of victory in an American Conference league game ever and the seventh-best three-point shooting game in league history.
• Jaylen Lawal was electric with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting and was 5-of-6 from three. He is the only freshman in the country this season with a game with 25 points, five or more made threes, and shot .750 from the field. He is one of just six players to reach that stat line off the bench this year and did so in the fifth fewest minutes of the 40 such games.
SERIES HISTORY
• This is the 56th meeting between the programs, Tulsa leads 40-15 all-time.
• North Texas has won the last three in the series.
• This is the fourth straight regular season meeting played in Denton.
• Eric Konkol is 9-9 in his career against North Texas.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• North Texas is 9-5 in the first season under Daniyal Robinson.
• The Mean Green fell in its American Conference opener at Memphis, 57-48.
• UNT is 11th in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 63.1 points per game. They are 18th in the nation in three-point percentage defense (.282) and 22nd in turnovers forced per game (15.9).
SEASON NOTABLES
• Head coach Eric Konkol reached 200 wins for his career in a 97-48 win over Rice.
• Tulsa won the Mayor's Cup despite Oral Roberts shooting .500 percent from the field and making 14 threes. Since the 2004-05 season per Stathead, it is Tulsa's first road win in which the opponent shot .500 percent or better from the field and made 10 or more threes. Last season, teams were 839-13 (.985) at home, shooting .500 percent or better from the field, and made more than 10 threes.
• The Golden Hurricane won their first in-season tournament, the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, since 2002 with a 63-60 victory over Northern Iowa.
• The Golden Hurricane have played three one-point games this season, with two in back-to-back games (Oral Roberts and Kansas State). It was the team's first back-to-back one-point finishes since 2011. The team is 2-1 in one-point games this season. It's the team's most one-point games since 2008-09.
• Tulsa's 117-point performance against UAPB set a new Reynolds Center facility record for points in a game. It was the ninth-most points in a game in school history and is the program's first game with 115-plus points since 2000.
• Three opponents on the schedule are new to the Golden Hurricane men's basketball program, Oklahoma Christian, Manhattan Christian, and Denver.
• Tulsa received their highest ever NET ranking in the first batch of rankings, released on Dec. 1 at No. 27 in the country. The program's previous high was No. 52 back in 2020-21. Last season the Golden Hurricane finished ranked No. 271.
• Tulsa is 4-0 in coaches challenges this season.
OVER 80
• Tulsa got off to a terrific start offensively, scoring 80+ points in each of the first six contests.
• It was the program's longest such streak since the 2001-02 season, a streak of seven games. That team would score 80+ points 19 times.
• The program's single season record is 21 times, set back in 1983-84, under head coach Nolan Richardson.
• Tulsa has averaged 80 or more points in a season 14 times but not since 2001-02.
• Tulsa has three games scoring 100-plus points this season, their most 100-point performances in a year since 1995-96.
• Last season the Golden Hurricane scored 80-plus points 10 times, already surpassing that total with 13.
• The only school to hold Tulsa under 80 points is Northern Iowa, who at 57.9 points per game is second nationally in defense.
• Tulsa's top five scoring seasons by points per game with head coach and final record:
• 1983-84 (Nolan Ricardson, 27-4) - 90.8
• 2025-26 (Eric Konkol, 13-1) - 89.9*
• 1972-73 (Ken Hayes, 18-8) - 85.3
• 1970-71 (Ken Hayes, 17-9) - 84.2
• 1993-93 (Tubby Smith, 23-8) - 83.4
SPREADING THE LOVE
• Tulsa has had at least 15 assists in 12 of 14 games of the season. The Golden Hurricane reached that mark just 12 times last season.
• Thrice this season Tulsa has had at least 20 assists in a game, tying a school record also set in 1993-94, 2015-16, 2018-19, and 2020-21.
• Tulsa has assisted on .566 of made field goals this season, 235-of-415.
• All 10 regulars in the Golden Hurricane rotation have had at least one game with 10 or more points.
LONGEVITY IN THE LEAGUE
• Head coach Eric Konkol is in his fourth season with the Golden Hurricane.
• Konkol entered the year tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in the American Conference.
• Only Penny Hardaway (Memphis, 8th season), Ron Hunter (Tulane, 7th season), and Andy Kennedy (UAB, 6th season) have been in the league longer.
• East Carolina head coach, and former Tulsa assistant, Michael Scwartz, is also entering his fourth season leading his program.
EFFICIENT OFFENSE
• Tulsa has been one of the best team's metrically in the country.
• Tulsa has five players that are +100 or better this season when they are on the floor. Ade Popoola (+134), David Green (+132), Tyler Behrend (+121), Miles Barnstable (+119), and Tylen Riley (+118).
• Per KenPom, Tulsa is third in the country in three-point shooting at .417 percent against D1 opponents.
• Tulsa is 22nd in the country in points per game (88.9), 20th in scoring margin (19.9), 12th in three-point percentage (.398), 12th in free throw percentage (.781), and tied for 15th with 11.0 threes per game.
• The Golden Hurricane bench has been terrific, averaging 32.8 points per game, the 48th best mark in the country. Only Memphis (33.4) averages more in the American.
• Tulsa leads the American Conference in point differential (19.9), field goal percentage (.492), three-point percentage (.398), threes per game (11.0), free throw percentage (.781), rebound margin (9.8), and assist to turnover ratio (1.64).
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY TOO
• While the offense is receiving the headlines, the Tulsa defense has been strong this season too.
• Tulsa is allowing just 69.9 points per game, the third fewest in the American Conference and a top 100 defense in the country.
• They are holding opponents to a .413 shooting percentage, third in the American and 83rd in the country.
• The Golden Hurricane are also tied with UAB for the league lead in defensive rebounds at 27.6 per game.
LAST TIME OUT
• Tulsa was in complete control in a 97-48 win over Rice.
• It was the program's largest margin of victory in a conference game ever and the best three-point shooting performance in Reynolds Center history (13-of-19, .684).
• It was the second largest margin of victory in an American Conference league game (Houston over East Carolina, 109-58 on Feb. 25, 2018).
• Jaylen Lawal was electric with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting and was 5-of-6 from three. He is the only freshman in the country this season with a game with 25 points, five or more made threes, and shot .750 from the field.
• It was the fewest points Tulsa has allowed in a conference game since holding South Floirda to 45 on Jan. 29, 2022.
UP NEXT
• Tulsa returns home to face South Florida on Saturday in the Reynolds Center.
Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans can also follow the team on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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