Kenyon Giles poured in 31 points and Wichita State clamped down defensively in the final two minutes to secure an 81-77 win over Tulsa on Saturday night in front of a season-high crowd of 7,569.
The Shockers (16-10, 8-5) moved into a tie for fourth place in the American Conference with five games remaining, sitting just one game out of second place.
Giles notched his second 30-point performance of the season, shooting 13-of-27 from the field while doing most of his damage attacking the rim and knocking down midrange shots. Dillon Battie added 13 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting night, and Will Berg contributed 12 points and seven rebounds while drawing nine fouls inside.
Wichita State shot 63% in the second half and 50% overall, overcoming a cold night from three-point range and committing only six turnovers.
The Shockers trailed for nearly 34 minutes and didn’t regain the lead until Giles sank two free throws with 2:42 remaining — their first advantage since early in the first half.
Tulsa controlled much of the game and led 41-35 at halftime before stretching the margin to nine early in the second half. Wichita State responded with a steady inside attack, eventually tying the game at 70 with just under eight minutes to play.
After a Tulsa three-pointer gave the Golden Hurricane a late edge, Wichita State held them to just two points the rest of the way. Karon Boyd delivered in crunch time, scoring on a hook shot to extend the lead and then hitting a free throw with eight seconds left to seal the victory.
Wichita State travels to East Carolina next, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday in Greenville. Listen to the game on 103.7 KEYN.