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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian said
beating Tulsa (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP) for the second time wasn't strategy but a chance of luck.
"We went to the zone and took a chance and it worked," Tarkanian said after the Bulldogs beat the Golden Hurricane 73-72 in the final seconds. "It's not great strategy. It just worked out that time."
Tulsa (25-3, 10-2 Western Athletic Conference) watched as Fresno
State (18-9, 8-3) took its first lead in the game and sealed the
victory with Courtney Alexander's go-ahead jumper with 30 seconds
remaining Thursday night.
"That was kinda my patent shot. It felt good. Fortunately, it
went in," said Alexander, who scored 25 points -- right at his
nation-leading average of 25.2 points per game.
Tulsa had a chance at the buzzer, but Eric Coley failed to tip
the ball in as it rolled around the rim on a Greg Harrington missed
shot.
"Eric had the tip-in and I don't know how it didn't go in,"
Tulsa coach Bill Self said.
Last month, the Hurricane lost 75-73 last month at Fresno State.
The only other team Tulsa has lost to is cross-town rival Oral
Roberts, 60-59.
"Down the stretch, we played out of character," Self said.
David Shelton led Tulsa with 17 points. Harrington added 16 and
Tony Heard had 14, including 4-of-6 from the 3-point line.
For the Bulldogs, Melvin Ely had 14 points, while Terrance
Roberson and Demetrius Porter each had 11.
Fresno State came back after trailing the entire first half when
Travis DeManby made two free throws to start an 11-0 run that tied
the game at 62 with 5:48 remaining.
Tony Heard returned with a 3-pointer that started a 7-0
Hurricane run to make it 69-62 with less than four minutes left.
A basket by Alexander and a 3-pointer by Porter brought Fresno
State within one point with 58.9 remaining. Harrington turned over
the ball at 45.3 seconds, setting up Alexander's game-winner.
Fresno State shot 45 percent from the field, while Tulsa shot 42
percent.
The Hurricane started the game with four 3-pointers in four
minutes, including three by Heard, and had a 37-30 lead at
halftime.
In the beginning of the second half, Tulsa made three straight
3-pointers, including two by Hill before Fresno slowly came back.
"When we had control of the game, we did so many silly things
to let them stay in the game," Self said. "We tried to nurse the
lead instead of build on it."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Fresno State Clubhouse
Tulsa Clubhouse
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