Wichita State Shockers defeat Tulsa Golden Hurricane in American Conference semifinal

Wichita State advances to conference tournament final after second win over Tulsa this season

Mar. 14, 2026 at 8:36pm

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In a semifinal matchup of the American Conference basketball tournament, the Wichita State Shockers defeated the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 81-77. This was the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Wichita State evening the series after Tulsa won the first matchup 93-83. The Shockers entered the game as a slight favorite and were able to hold off a tired Tulsa squad that had gone to triple overtime the previous day.

Why it matters

This win sends Wichita State to the American Conference tournament final, where they will look to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. For Tulsa, the loss ends their season after a strong 26-6 campaign, though the fatigue from their triple-overtime game the previous day may have played a factor.

The details

Wichita State was led by Kenyon Giles, who scored 19.4 points per game on the season, while Karon Boyd added 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds. The Shockers' defense was able to limit Tulsa's high-powered offense, which averaged 86.1 points per game on the year. Tulsa was paced by David Green's 16.4 points per game, along with contributions from Tyler Riley and Miles Barnstable, but the team's legs appeared heavy after their marathon game the previous day.

  • Tulsa and Wichita State split their two regular season meetings, with Tulsa winning 93-83 in the first matchup and Wichita State winning 81-77 in the second.
  • This semifinal matchup took place on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Kenyon Giles

A key player for the Wichita State Shockers, averaging 19.4 points per game on the season.

Karon Boyd

A Wichita State player who contributed 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

David Green

Tulsa's leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game on the season.

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What they’re saying

“We knew Tulsa would be tired after their triple-overtime game, so we wanted to come out and play tough defense to take advantage of that. Our guys really stepped up and made it tough for them to get into an offensive rhythm.”

— Paul Mills, Wichita State Head Coach (Wichita Eagle)

What’s next

Wichita State will advance to the American Conference tournament final, where they will look to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the challenges of playing consecutive days in a conference tournament, as Tulsa's fatigue from their triple-overtime win the previous day appeared to be a factor in their loss to Wichita State. The Shockers' defensive intensity and ability to limit Tulsa's high-powered offense proved to be the difference in the game.