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Tulsa drops Memphis in defensive battle

Tulsa forward Rey Idowu scores against Memphis.
Tulsa forward Rey Idowu scores against Memphis. (USATSI)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Austin Richie scored 14 points and Rey Idowu added 13 for the Golden Hurricane as Tulsa topped Memphis 56-49 on Monday night.

On a night where both teams struggled from the field, Memphis ran out to a 27-19 halftime lead. But Tulsa chipped away in the second half and finished the game on an 18-5 run to snag the win in front of no fans at the FedEx Forum.

Tulsa shot just 35 percent from the field but held Memphis to 32 percent. The teams were a combined 24 percent from 3-point range.

Tulsa scored 16 points off of 20 Memphis turnovers, as the Hurricane allowed only five made field goals in the second half.

"We just played with great toughness,” said Tulsa head coach Frank Haith. “We felt like we were always right there, and we just needed to continue to stay together. Obviously, shots were not falling, but our defense kept us where we needed to be.”

Tulsa evened its record at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the American Athletic Conference.

TU plays its next game on Dec. 23 against Southwestern Christian University at 6:00 pm in the Reynolds Center. The game will be televised on ESPN+.

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