Third loss in a row means there’s still more work to be done.
On Valentine’s Day, the University of Tulsa’s men’s basketball team travelled to Wichita, Kansas, to take on rivals Wichita State. In a game that had massive stakes not only for conference play but also for March Madness, Wichita State narrowly edged out the Golden Hurricanes, winning 81-77.
The two had previously played on Feb. 1 in Tulsa, where the Hurricane defeated the Shockers 93-83 and had their sixth win of what would be seven straight victories. However, after that impressive run, Tulsa would fall not only to South Florida but also to the University of Alabama, Birmingham, which cost them their spot at the top of the conference and their projected March Madness bid. A win against the Shockers seemed the best way to bring the Hurricane back into the conversation, and the first half seemed to show that. They led 41-35 at the half, with everyone contributing and the defense getting in many stops.
The second half seemed like more of the same, with the game consistently close, until late in the second half when the Golden Hurricane collapsed. They went only 1-8 down the stretch, allowing the Shockers to retake the lead and gain a narrow victory. For a team that consistently beat teams with late surges in the second half during their seven-win stretch of games, the last three seem to have been decided by faltering late; against UAB in particular there was an 11-0 stretch late in the second half which allowed them to pull away. It’s a worrying trend considering that there are just five more games of the regular season left before the American Conference Championship begins.
Sitting at second in the American Conference, the Golden Hurricane are still able to top it and position themselves for a good American Conference Championship run. However, they will need South Florida to lose twice and, most likely, Wichita State to lose again (as they are currently tied with them in the standings but could win in other complicated scenarios). However, that would still require winning out over the next five games.
As for the March Madness bid Tulsa seemed to have earlier in the season, the last three losses have heavily damaged their chances. They aren’t even considered “on the bubble” and their only hope seems to lie in winning the American Conference Championship. That being said, if they manage to do it, it will be one of the most impressive accomplishments in all of Tulsa Men’s Basketball history and certainly one of the most amazing end of season runs. They still have to be considered favorites to win the tournament, considering the only team in the American Conference Tulsa has not beat has been South Florida.
All in all, it should be an exciting and important stretch of basketball to end the regular season for Tulsa. They next play in Tulsa on Wednesday, Feb. 18 against Charlotte, where winning will mean completing the regular-season sweep of Charlotte. Charlotte is also ranked fourth in the American Conference, so it will be a good chance for the Golden Hurricanes to get their footing back against a quality opponent.
