TU impressive in exhibition win
The University of Tulsa men's basketball team showed off quite an arsenal in an 80-48 exhibition victory over Missouri S&T on Monday night. Ten different players hit the score sheet, and 11 players logged double-digit minutes, as the Hurricane shot 50-percent and held MST to just 17 points in the second half.
Tulsa opened an early six-point lead behind two three-pointers by senior Justin Hurtt and another by true freshman Jordan Clarkson. The lead went as high as 11 points late in the first half, but MST used an 11-2 run to close the gap to 33-31.
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Clarkson answered with a traditional three-point play just before the end of the half to give the Hurricane a 36-31 halftime edge.
Tulsa took control early in the second half and never looked back. Over a 16 minute span, TU outscored Missouri S&T 35-6 and build a commanding 71-37 advantage.
"I'm real pleased," said Tulsa head coach Doug Wojcik. "I thought we played really hard. Our goal was to score 90 points, and the thing that held us back from that was the free throw shooting. I'm very pleased with the way we shared the basketball, and I thought our defensive intensity was very, very good.
"As far as ball-handling, shooting the basketball, and sharing the basketball, I'm really, really pleased."
Clarkson led the way for Tulsa with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in just 20 minutes of play. He connected on 6-of-7 shots from the field, burying his only three-point attempt. He also made 3-of-5 free throws.
"He was absolutely terrific," said Wojcik. "He didn't play point guard in high school. It's his first game -- three assists and just one turnover. He looked very comfortable, and he's very fast with the basketball."
"We have high expectations for him. He's really going to be a very good player and has a great feel."
Hurtt, a Preseason All-Conference USA selection, scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in 23 minutes. He said TU turned up the defense in the second half, as they held MST to 25.9-percent shooting.
"We really concentrated on getting stops, because in the first half, we didn't feel like we got enough stops," said Hurtt. "We weren't guarding the ball very well. We picked that up and really did a good job in the second half."
UConn transfer Scottie Haralson added 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. It was his first game action in over a year.
"It was fun," he explained. "I was glad to come in and just be on the court. I was excited. I feel like if I'm open, I can knock the shot down. I'm confident when I shoot the ball."
Steven Idlet collected 9 points and 8 rebounds in 24 minutes, Bryson Pope chipped in 8 points and 3 boards, and freshman big man Blondy Baruti added 7 points and 5 rebounds in just 10 minutes of court time.
Tulsa shot 50-percent overall and an impressive 47.4-percent from three-point range, but they struggled from the free throw line, making just 15-of-26 for 57.7-percent.
The Hurricane outrebounded their opponent 41 to 29 and held MST to just 33.3-percent from the field and 30.8-percent from beyond the arc.
Guard Donte Medder and center Kodi Maduka were both held out for precautionary reasons due to recovering from injuries. Yet, TU still put almost a dozen players on the floor.
"The minutes distribution really worked out well," said Wojcik. "I put some thought into that and tried to get everyone on the floor."
NOTABLE STATISTICS
Jordan Clarkson
16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover in 20 minutes
Justin Hurtt
14 points, 5 rebounds in 23 minutes
Scottie Haralson
12 points, 1 rebound in 22 minutes. 4-of-7 from 3 pt
Steven Idlet
9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals in 24 minutes
Bryson Pope
8 points, 3 rebounds in 15 minutes
Blondy Baruti
7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal in just 10 minutes
Glen Andrews
5 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers in 24 minutes
Tim Peete
4 points, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal in 13 minutes
DJ Magley
3 points, 4 rebounds in 21 minutes
Shane Heirman
2 points, 2 rebounds in 12 minutes
Joe Richard
0 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in 16 min