Hurricane hangs on for 50-49 win over TCU
BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Saturday, December 08, 2012
With nine seconds remaining in a back-and-forth basketball game at the Reynolds Center – and with the participants tied at 49-49 – University of Tulsa junior guard Pat Swilling Jr. committed a turnover.
And with 3.2 seconds left, after TCU guard Kyan Anderson failed to convert on what could have been a victory-clinching shot, Swilling again possessed the basketball – and was fouled, inexplicably, by Horned Frog forward Adrick McKinney.
“When he jumped on me, I fell to the ground and heard the whistle. I was like, ‘Man, that was a bad foul on him,’ ” Swilling said. “But thank God.”
Said Golden Hurricane coach Danny Manning: “There were a lot of emotions happening in a span of seven or eight seconds.”
In only his second contest since returning from a surgically repaired left wrist, Swilling connected on the first of two free throws. He missed on the subsequent try, but TU’s Scottie Haralson rebounded and time expired on a 50-49 Hurricane triumph.
“I was kind of nervous,” Swilling, a junior-college transfer, said of his late free throws. “My first time here to hit a clutch shot. But being an older guy – I’ve been through some of these similar situations. I just knew I had to hit one so that we’d get out of here with a win.”
Manning’s young team not only had prevailed over a Big 12 opponent, but over a TCU team that entered with a No. 3 national ranking in scoring defense (having allowed only 52.8 points per game).
“We found a way to get a win,” Manning said. “We turned the ball over way too many times and still found a way to gut it out.”
TCU scored 24 of its 49 points off of Tulsa’s season-high total of 23 turnovers. During the final 10 minutes, there were nine lead changes.
“Every possession was magnified,” said Manning, whose Hurricane squad improved to 6-3.
Said Tulsa’s D’Andre Wright: “It was a great atmosphere. Every play counted.”
The Horned Frogs dropped to 6-4 overall and 1-3 against Conference USA teams. TCU was beaten at home by SMU and Houston.
Anderson had scored at least 20 points in each of his previous three games, but against TU he was 3-of-11 from the field and finished with eight points. TCU shot 38 percent overall and missed nine free throws.
“This is a basketball game we had an opportunity to win. I can’t fault our effort. It’s a good win for Tulsa,” Horned Frogs coach Trent Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can’t shoot the ball or don’t shoot the ball with confidence.”
TU freshman guards James Woodard, Shaq Harrison and Rashad Ray played like rookies on Saturday. They combined for nearly as many turnovers (13) as points (15).
“They continue to grind and fight, (and) they never stop playing on the defensive end,” Manning said. “There will be peaks and valleys with our freshmen. As long as they put forth the effort, we can handle what the results are.”
The statistical results were much better from Hurricane forwards Kauri Black and Wright. A 6-foot-8 freshman from Lawton, Wright was Tulsa’s leader both in scoring (14 points) and rebounds (seven). For the fourth time in his last five games, the 6-7 Black – a senior who transferred this year from Northeastern University in Boston – contributed nine points.
When Hurricane guards would attract a second defender, Wright and Black consistently got point-black shot opportunities rolling to the basket after.
“It’s encouraging to see that when we run our stuff and we executed, we get the ball where we want it,” Manning said.
After leading 30-25 at halftime, Tulsa trailed 38-33 with 12 minutes left to play.
“I feel that we learned a lot about our team today,” Swilling said. “With us being young – having a lot of freshmen and newcomers – coming together and getting a win over a Big 12 opponent is important for us. Today was a tough win.”
Associated Images:
Tulsa's Pat Swilling Jr. hauls in a loose ball in the final seconds of his team's win on Saturday over TCU. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
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