Tyson Etienne scored a team-high 22 points to help Wichita State fend off Tulane, 75-67, Wednesday night at Charles Koch Arena.
The win gives WSU (10-4, 6-2 American) a share of first-place in the loss column with Houston, which dropped to 10-2 following an upset at East Carolina.
Etienne finished 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from three on the way to his seventh 20-point game of the season.
Alterique Gilbert chipped in 17 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Dexter Dennis tallied eight points with four blocks and spearheaded a strong defensive effort on Tulane's Jaylen Forbes, who entered the day ranked sixth on the conference scoring list but missed all 13 field goal attempts.
Jordan Walker totaled 23 points and four assists for Tulane (7-6, 2-6), which shot just 30.8 percent for the night, including 4-of-25 from three, but converted 23-of-26 free throws to keep things interesting.
WSU shot a respectable 40.7 percent on 10-of-29 three-point shooting and cashed in 21-of-27 at the charity stripe.
The Shockers out-rebounded the Green Wave, 43-36, but lost the turnover battle 13-6.
WSU led 31-19 at halftime after holding the Green Wave to a miserable 18.8 percent from the field (6-of-32).
Tulane made its first field goal try – a Walker three – then missed each of its next 12 attempts.
Etienne supplied 10 points during a 13-0 Shocker run, and WSU maintained at least a five-point lead for the rest of the night.
Tulane missed another 11-consecutive shots late in the half, and the Shockers ripped off eight-straight points.
Clarence Jackson's free throw made it a 29-16 lead with 42 seconds to play in the half.
Tulane more than doubled its output with 48 second-half points (most by a Shocker opponent this season), but WSU kept pace with 44.
Gilbert sank three free throws for a 21-point Shocker lead – 59-38 – with 7:39 to play.
Tulane scored the next 13 points to get within eight with 4:54 to go, but Etienne answered with a three and Gilbert converted a four-point play to restore order.
NOTABLE:
- WSU improved to 5-0 against Tulane. In an odd schedule quirk, four of the five meetings have happened in Wichita. The Shockers' Mar. 3 return visit will be their first to New Orleans since March, 2019.
- WSU is now 7-2 at home with six-straight wins.
- The Shockers have won eight-straight American home games dating back to Feb. 16, 2020.
UP NEXT:
- The Shockers continue their homestand Sunday against Temple on ESPNU.
- Tipoff has been pushed back an hour to 2 p.m. CT.
- WSU is 4-3 against Temple since joining the conference. In six of the seven matchups, the team trailing at halftime has come back to win.
