Tulsa defeats Denver 90-85

Tulsa Edges Out Denver in Thrilling 90-85 Victory

In a back-and-forth battle that went down to the wire, No. 22-ranked Tulsa University's Golden Hurricane took down visiting Denver Pioneers 90-85 on Tuesday night at Reynolds Center.

The game was a true thriller, with Tulsa holding a slim 42-38 halftime lead before Denver stormed back to take a 13-point advantage in the second half. However, the Golden Hurricanes refused to be silenced, as they rallied behind senior David Green's 23 points and Tylen Riley's 18 points and six rebounds.

Tulsa's dominant performance was fueled by its ability to contain Denver's leading scorer, Carson Johnson, who scored 20 points but shot just 2-for-9 from three-point range. In contrast, the Golden Hurricanes hit 6-of-21 from beyond the arc themselves, with Riley connecting on 4-of-7 attempts.

For Tulsa, Green was a force to be reckoned with in the paint, scoring 15 of his 23 points in the second half. His hot shooting helped propel the Golden Hurricane's comeback, as they took advantage of Denver's struggles from beyond the arc.

"David's been our leader all season," said Tulsa head coach Frank Haith. "He's a talented player who can take over games when it matters most."

The win marked Tulsa's fifth consecutive victory and improved their overall record to 10-2 on the year. For the Golden Hurricanes, the win was significant as they moved to .500 in conference play.

Denver, meanwhile, fell to 7-5 on the season, with the loss serving as a wake-up call for a team that had been struggling to find its footing on both ends of the court.

In terms of advanced statistics, Tulsa's eFG% of 48.6% and True Shooting percentage of 53.2% were key factors in their success, while Denver struggled with an eFG% of 49.2%. The Golden Hurricanes also held a significant edge in the Four Factors, including offensive rebounding rate (43.9%) and turnover ratio (11.8%).

The loss marked just the second home defeat for Tulsa under Haith's leadership, as the team has become increasingly adept at navigating the challenges of Reynolds Center.

"Tonight was a true test of our character," said Riley. "We knew it would be a tough one, but we were able to come out on top."

With the win, Tulsa took its place among the top teams in the nation, while Denver looked to regroup and refocus ahead of its next matchup.