As first games go, this wasn’t a bad one for Tulsa. Especially considering the trouble the Golden Hurricane has had in season openers.
Jeriah Horne scored 22 points to lead the Golden Hurricane to a 80-72 victory over Houston Baptist on Tuesday afternoon in front of a crowd of 3,577 at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa’s third annual Blackboards and Backboards game.
With the sound of over 3,300 elementary, junior high, and high school students from 22 different Tulsa schools, and thousands of them displaying high-pitched screams, fans rooted on a Tulsa team that got outplayed for most of the first half.
Trying not to lose its home opener for three of the last four seasons, Tulsa came back from eight-point deficits late in the first half to take a 41-38 lead at halftime.
A flurry of steals by TU near halftime negated what had been a hot-shooting Houston Baptist squad. But just as Tulsa, who led just 34 seconds in the first half, looked like it might pull away early in the second half, the Huskies hung in tough and got out to a six-point lead over six minutes into the second half.
But Tulsa, trailing 53-47, then went on a 25-6 run to take a commanding 72-59 lead with just over four minutes to go. From there, an out-of-gas Houston Baptist squad was done.
“I’m encouraged by us finishing that game the way we needed to finish it,” said Tulsa coach Frank Haith.
Looking hardly like a finished product, especially in the first half, Tulsa relied on Horne’s 13 points and five steals in the first half to climb back into the lead.
When Tulsa was down six in the second half, it was Horne who started off the Hurricane’s run. Freshman Isaiah Hill tied the game with 11:43 left, and Horne’s free throws put Tulsa up for good at 55-53 just 31 seconds later.
“At halftime, we talked about taking care of the little controllables that we weren’t taking care of in the first half, making scrappy plays, diving for loose balls, taking care of the ball in transition, making wise decisions,” said TU senior post player Martins Igbanu. “I think in the second half we came back with that on our minds, not even worrying about winning the game, but just taking care of those things, just taking care of that part of the game, and it would take care of itself.”
There were several things to take away from the game, the first being that when Horne is scoring, Tulsa is a much better team. The scoring punch from outside and in from Horne will be a key all season long for the Golden Hurricane.
The starting lineup was Horne, Brandon Rachal, Igbanu, Elijah Joiner and Lawson Korita. Tulsa played all 10 of its eligible scholarship players, with eight playing 15 or more minutes. Hill, Reggie Jones (5 points, 15 minutes), Darien Jackson, Manny Ugboh (4 minutes – all in first half), and Josh Earley (6 minutes, 4 points) came off the bench.
Another revelation is that Hill is a player. This is not exactly a surprise considering how hyped the freshman point guard from Bakersfield, CA has been. Hill had eight points, four rebounds, and two assists in 24 minutes.
Although not perfect, Hill’s presence and slick passing skills gave TU fans a glimpse of a bright future.
“I thought that Isaiah Hill, once he got settled in, was a lot better,” said Haith of Hill’s improvement over the exhibition season opener against Rockhurst. “First game, freshman, he’s got some talent, he’s going to be better.”
Also, as expected, Rachal is a terrific addition to the Golden Hurricane. Although he made some mistakes, Rachal, a 6-6 former LSU 4-star recruit, provided great energy in leading TU with 10 rebounds to go with 12 points in 26 minutes.
Another positive is the play of Igbanu. The 6-8 senior just has a tough inside presence, scoring 16 points, as well as scoring Tulsa’s first points of the season on an old-fashioned running hook shot just 39 seconds after the game started.
An additional key player for Tulsa was Jackson, who had nine points, five steals and three rebounds while providing much-needed spark, energy, and athleticism to the Golden Hurricane in 25 minutes.
Ian DuBose led the Huskies (12-18 last season) with 20 points and 10 rebounds for 29th-year HBU coach Ron Cottrell.
For the Golden Hurricane (18-14 last season), Tuesday was an important first step to becoming a contender in the AAC.
“There’s still a lot to learn,” Haith said about his team. “I thought I learned a lot, today, though.”
Tulsa could still get some additional firepower, as junior Georgia Tech transfer Curtis Haywood’s eligibility appeal for this season is still undecided.
“It’s kind of disappointing, that we start the season, and we don’t hear nay or yea,” Haith said of still waiting on Haywood’s appeal.
