By BARRY LEWIS Sports Writer on Mar 16, 2013, at 3:48 PM Updated on 3/16 at 3:51 PM
ORU SPORTS
Oral Roberts’ first trip to the Southland Conference baseball tournament was pretty much like its entire season. Every time ...
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Since 1982, the city of Tulsa has hosted 16 major conference men’s basketball championship games.
Oral Roberts and Tulsa have been involved in 13 of those games.
So how does Memphis’ 91-79, double-overtime victory over Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA final at the BOK Center on Saturday compare to the rest?
I’ve been to all 16 finals in Tulsa and here’s how I rank them.
1. Memphis 91, Southern Mississippi 79, 2 OTs (2013 Conference USA at BOK Center): This game almost had it all — a last-second tying basket by Southern Miss’ Neil Watson at the end of regulation, a missed shot by Watson at the end of the first overtime, clutch shooting by tournament MVP Chris Crawford of Memphis and some interesting officiating calls. Neither team led by more than five in regulation. The only thing this game lacked was a great ending to the second overtime.
2. Tulsa 70, Creighton 68, OT (1984 Missouri Valley at Convention Center): Ricky Ross sank the winning jump shot over towering Creighton center Benoit Benjamin with two seconds left in overtime to lift the Hurricane. Tulsa outlasted Willis Reed’s Bluejays to reach the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years.
3. Wichita State 84, Tulsa 82 (1985 Missouri Valley at Convention Center): Xavier McDaniel had 34 points and 13 rebounds to help the Shockers withstand Tulsa’s rally from an 18-point deficit in a rematch of TU’s 67-66 victory a week earlier that decided the regular-season title. Steve Harris scored 37 for Tulsa, but missed a hurried tying 25-footer as time expired.
4. Oral Roberts 71, Oakland 67 (2007 Mid-Continent at UMAC): Ken Tutt made an acrobatic tiebreaking 10-foot bank shot with 31 seconds left to lift ORU and avenge a heartbreaking loss two years earlier to Oakland in the title game. Caleb Green scored 28 for ORU.
5. Hawaii 78, Tulsa 72, OT (2001 WAC at Reynolds Center): Carl English’s tying basket with 1.8 seconds left sent the game into overtime and he scored seven of his 25 points in the extra session for Hawaii, which was only 14-13 entering the tournament. Tulsa’s Antonio Reed narrowly missed a 50-footer to end regulation. Tulsa, coming off an Elite Eight season, lost an NCAA berth but went on to win the NIT.
6. Tulsa 74, Bradley 58 (1986 Missouri Valley at Convention Center): Tournament MVP Brian Rahilly and Davis Moss scored 22 points each to lead Tulsa’s upset over ninth-ranked Bradley. It was the high point of Tulsa’s first-year coach J.D. Barnett’s six years with the Hurricane as his team executed his game plan to perfection.
7. Oakland 61, ORU 60 (2005 Mid-Continent at UMAC): Pierre Dukes sank a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1.3 seconds left as Oakland, which was 9-18 entering the tournament, stunned ORU and an overflow crowd at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center. ORU was denied its first NCAA berth since 1984.
8. Loyola 89, ORU 83 (1985 Midwestern City at Mabee Center): Alfredrick Hughes had 26 points to lead the Sweet 16-bound Ramblers past ORU, which received 27 points from Mark Acres. At the end of the night, Hughes and Wichita State’s Xavier McDaniel, who played earlier in the day in the MVC title game at Tulsa, were tied for the nation’s scoring lead with 822 points each for a 27.4 average.
9. Wichita State 79, Tulsa 74, OT (1987 Missouri Valley at Convention Center): Sasha Radunovich led the Shockers past the Hurricane in OT.
10. Houston 81, UTEP 73 (2010 Conference USA at BOK Center): Tournament MVP Kelvin Lewis scored 28 points, including six treys, to lead the Cougars, who were 15-15 entering the tournament, over the Miners, who had their 16-game winning streak snapped.
11. Tulsa 90, Illinois State 77 (1982 Missouri Valley at Convention Center): The Hurricane claimed their first NCAA Tournament berth in 27 years and capped their second consecutive undefeated season at home under Nolan Richardson.
12. ORU 71, IUPUI 64 (2008 Summit at UMAC): Moses Ehambe led ORU with 25 points, including seven treys.
13. Tulsa 75, Nevada 64 (2003 WAC at Reynolds Center): The Hurricane finally won the WAC after losing three consecutive title games.
14. ORU 85, Chicago State 72 (2006 Mid-Continent at UMAC): ORU gained its first NCAA berth since 1984.
15. Evansville 81, Loyola 72 (1982 Midwestern City at Mabee Center): Evansville earned a return trip to the Mabee Center the next week for the NCAA Tournament less than five years after a plane crashed wiped out its basketball program.
16. Hawaii 73, Tulsa 59 (2002 WAC at Reynolds Center): Hawaii won second straight WAC title in Tulsa.
-- Barry Lewis
