It was a back-and-forth game but in the end, Wichita State pulled away for an 81-77 win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in Koch Arena in Wichita on Saturday.

Wichita State’s record improved to 16-10 overall and 8-5 in the American Athletic Conference. Tulsa dropped to 20-6, 8-5 American.

There were several lead changes and ties in the first half. By the end of the half, Tulsa led 41–35.

Tulsa began the second half by quickly extending its lead to nine, 44-35, but Wichita State responded over the next five minutes by closing the gap to five points. However, Tulsa maintained its lead and was ahead, 53–47, with 15:03 left to play.

The Golden Hurricane held a slight advantage until the closing minutes. The two teams were tied 72-72 with 4:35 remaining, but the Shockers outscored Tulsa, 9-5 down the stretch to pull out the victory. Tulsa made only one of eight shots in the closing minutes.

Tylen Riley led Tulsa with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, along with four rebounds. Miles Barnstable added 19 points, including four 3-pointers, while collecting seven rebounds and two steals. Jaylen Lawal scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds. David Green also posted 10 points and blocked a shot.

Wichita State was led by Kenyon Giles with 31 points, and Dillon Battie with 13.

Tulsa will host UTSA on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPNU.