Field Level Media
Jan 13, 2018
Conner Frankamp and Landry Shamet combined for 32 points, and No. 5 Wichita State survived a late run by Tulsa to pull out a 72-69 road win in American Athletic Conference play Saturday at Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Frankamp finished with 16 points, including two 3-pointers in the final minutes of the game that helped the Shockers fend of the Golden Hurricane. Wichita State has won 11 straight road games, the longest such streak in the nation.
Down two with 25 seconds to play, Tulsa coach Frank Haith called timeout. Corey Henderson got a good look at 3-pointer from the right wing out of the timeout, but the shot rimmed out, forcing the Golden Hurricane to foul.
Shamet increased the Wichita State lead to 72-69 with one of two free throws with eight seconds left. The Shockers fouled to prevent Tulsa from getting up a potential tying 3-pointer, but were unable to coral the rebound off of a missed free throw.
The ball wound up in Sterling Taplin's hands. He fired up a 3-pointer, but was just long as time expired.
Taplin finished with a game-high 26 points, and Henderson added 14 points for Tulsa (10-8, 3-3 AAC), which has lost three straight games.
Shamet had 16 points for the Shockers, who have responded to a loss at home Oklahoma in mid-December with seven straight wins.
Wichita State (15-2, 5-0 AAC) led 36-32 at halftime and extended its lead to 54-44 on a layup by Darral Willis Jr. midway through the second half.
Tulsa, which was coming off a 33-point loss at Houston earlier in the week, wouldn't go away and stayed close into the final minutes. Junior Etu converted a three-point play that cut Wichita State's lead to 63-58 with 4:20 left in the game.
Taplin drained his sixth 3-pointer get the Golden Hurricane within two with two minutes remaining, but couldn't come up with one more big shot.
The Shockers return home to host SMU on Wednesday.
Tulsa is a Temple on Wednesday.
-- Field Level Media