Ricky Council IV's would-be game winner wasn't to be.
 
Wichita State fell 68-67 to visiting Tulane on Wednesday evening at Charles Koch Arena after Council's driving layup at the buzzer was negated by a charging foul.
 
Jaylen Forbes scored 20 points and Jalen Cook added 18 points and five assists for Tulane (4-1), which overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to claim its first victory over the Shockers in seven tries.
 
Tyson Etienne had 20 points to pace short-handed WSU (9-6, 0-3), which played without starters Morris Udeze and Dexter Dennis.
 
Craig Porter Jr. established new career-highs with 18 points and nine rebounds to go with four assists and four steals.
 
WSU had entered the day as one of just 15 teams without a double performance but got one, at last, from Council who finished with 12 points and career-high 15 boards.
 
The Shockers scored the game's first 11 points and led 42-28 at halftime after converting 8-of-18 first-half threes.
 
Council's emphatic tip-dunk with 2 seconds remaining capped an eight-point, 10-rebound half.
 
Tulane's offense came to life, coming away with points on 17 of its first 24 possessions to start the second half.
 
The Green Wave used a 14-3 run to take their first lead of the night with 7:20 to play on a pair of Cook free throws.
 
The lead changed hands four more times.
 
Porter's basket with 2:48 to play gave the Shockers a 67-66 advantage, however those were their last points.
 
Tulane regained the lead, 68-67, on Cross' post-up and the teams spent the final 1:55 trading defensive stops.
 
James missed the front end of a 1-and-1 opportunity, giving the Shockers the ball with 17 seconds remaining.
 
WSU had two chances to go in front in the closing seconds. Etienne slipped while driving the lane, but the possession arrow favored the Shockers after a tie-up.
 
Council caught an inbound pass at the top of the key with three seconds remaining and dribbled into the heart of the lane before barreling into Tulane's Nobal Days. Council absorbed the contact and converted a tough layup as time expired, but officials waived off the basket.
 

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NOTABLE:
 
The Shockers have lost three-in-a-row for the first time since February, 2020 and back-to-back home conference games for the first time since dropping the 2017-18 finale to Cincinnati and their 2018-19 opener against Temple.
 
WSU is 0-3 in conference play for the first time since the 2018-19 season. That Shocker team started 1-6 in AAC play but rallied to finish 10-8.
 
Tulane is now 1-6 against WSU (1-4 in Wichita).
 
Etienne topped 20 points for the fourth time this season and for the 16^th time in his Shocker career.
 
Six triples matched Etienne's career-high, set four times previously, most recently against UNLV at the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas.
 
Etienne (164 career threes) leaped Landry Shamet and Markis McDuffie and moved into a tie with Conner Frankamp for sixth-place on WSU's all-time three-point field goal list. He needs 32 more to match Jason Perez for fifth.
 
Dennis saw his 49-game start streak come to an end. His next game will be his 100^th in a Shocker uniform.
 
Udeze's string of 36-straight starts was also snapped. He had been in the starting lineup for every game since the 2020-21 opener.
 
WSU's longest start streak now belongs to Tyson Etienne (12).
 
The Shockers lost for the first time this year when averaging over a point-per-possession (1.031). They had been 6-0 previously.
 
WSU is now 1-4 when surrendering more than a point-per-possession. Tulane averaged 1.063 on Wednesday.
 

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UP NEXT:
 
The Shockers play host to Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena (Noon CT, ESPN).