Field Level Media
Nov 24, 2019
Teshaun Hightower scored 16 points, including a tie-breaking layup in the final minute as Tulane defeated Utah 65-61 in the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Sunday in Conway, S.C.
K.J. Lawson added 14 points, Jordan Walker scored 12 and Nobal Days had 10 for the Green Wave (5-1), who claimed fifth place in the tournament.
Timmy Allen and Branden Carlson scored 14 each, Rylan Jones scored 11 and Mikael Jantunen 10 to lead the Utes (4-2), who hurt themselves with 20 turnovers.
Tulane led 32-31 after a back-and-forth first half and the back and forth continued into the second half.
The score was tied once and the sixth lead change of the second half occurred when Jantunen's dunk gave Utah a 44-43 lead midway through the half.
Allen scored four points, then assisted on a 3-pointer by Jaxon Brenchley to complete a 9-0 run that gave the Utes a 51-43 lead.
Lawson's jumper ended the run and Jordan followed with another jumper.
Jantunen made a layup as Utah rebuilt the lead to eight, but the Green Wave came back.
Ray Ona Embo and Lawson each made a 3-pointer before Walker's jumper tied the score at 61 with two minutes remaining.
After a Utes miss, Hightower made a layup to put the Green Wave ahead with 59 seconds left.
Utah had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Jones missed a jumper with 16 seconds left. After an offensive rebound and a timeout, Jones missed another jumper with eight seconds left and Christion Thompson made two free throws with two seconds left to complete the scoring.
The lead changed hands eight times and the score was tied for the fourth time at 28 late in the first half. The lead changed hands three more times in the final 35 seconds of the first half.
Lawson's jumper broke the tie before Both Gach's 3-pointer put the Utes back on top. Then Lawson's layup with one second left gave the Green Wave a 32-31 halftime lead.
--Field level Media