FORT WORTH, Texas -- Missing easy shots made life difficult for Wichita State Friday evening in an 82-76 loss to Tulane in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals at Dickies Arena.
 
The Shockers (17-15) made 9-of-21 threes (.429) but converted just 15-of-42 attempts (.360) from inside the paint.
 
For the second straight game, Craig Porter Jr. finished with a point-assist double-double, this time racking up 22 and 11.
 
James Rojas (14 points), Jaykwon Walton (13) and Jaron Pierre Jr. (12) also scored in double-figures.
 
Kevin Cross paced Tulane (20-10) with 24 points and 13 rebounds and Sion James collected six blocks and eight assists.
 
The Shockers trailed by as many as 13 points with 6:00 to play in the opening half but rallied to within a possession with 38 seconds on the clock.
 
As would become the theme over the next 20 minutes, WSU made enough baskets and stops to keep Tulane within its sites but could never sustain momentum long enough the move in front.
 
James' three-pointer sent Tulane into the break up 46-40.
 
WSU opened the second half on a 9-2 run to get within a point, 48-47, with 16:36 to play.
 
The Shockers got to within a point on three subsequent occasions, the last with 10:55 to go when Xavier Bell converted a fastbreak layup to make it 56-55.
 
WSU trailed by just three points at the 3:41-mark, but Tulane's R.J. McGee answered with two free throws and Jalen Cook converted a three-point play extend the margin to 70-62 with 2:45 remaining. The lead never dropped below two possessions the rest of the way.