SP
BravenNow
Wichita State secures 81-68 victory in American Athletic Conference Tournament against Tulsa
| USA | sports | โœ“ Verified - abcnews.com

Wichita State secures 81-68 victory in American Athletic Conference Tournament against Tulsa

#Wichita State #Tulsa #American Athletic Conference #basketball #tournament #victory #81-68

๐Ÿ“Œ Key Takeaways

  • Wichita State defeated Tulsa 81-68 in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
  • The win advances Wichita State in the tournament bracket.
  • The game was part of postseason college basketball competition.
  • The final score indicates a decisive victory for Wichita State.

๐Ÿ“– Full Retelling

Led by Kenyon Giles' 27 points, the Wichita State Shockers defeated the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 81-68 in the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday

๐Ÿท๏ธ Themes

College Basketball, Sports Tournament

๐Ÿ“š Related People & Topics

Wichita State University

Public university in Wichita, Kansas, US

Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in nine colleges.

View Profile โ†’ Wikipedia โ†—
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

City in the United States

Tulsa ( TUL-sษ™) is the second-most-populous city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and the 48th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa metropolitan area, a region with 1.06 million residents.

View Profile โ†’ Wikipedia โ†—
American Conference (NCAA)

American Conference (NCAA)

US college sports conference

The American Conference, formerly the American Athletic Conference (AAC), and also known as simply the American, is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associ...

View Profile โ†’ Wikipedia โ†—

American Athletic Conference Tournament

Topics referred to by the same term

American Athletic Conference Championship or American Athletic Conference Tournament may refer to:

View Profile โ†’ Wikipedia โ†—

Entity Intersection Graph

Connections for Wichita State University:

๐Ÿ‘ค Florida Atlantic University 1 shared
๐ŸŒ American Conference (NCAA) 1 shared
๐ŸŒ Temple 1 shared
๐Ÿ‘ค Tulsa Golden Hurricane 1 shared
๐ŸŒ Tulsa, Oklahoma 1 shared
View full profile

Mentioned Entities

Wichita State University

Public university in Wichita, Kansas, US

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

City in the United States

American Conference (NCAA)

American Conference (NCAA)

US college sports conference

American Athletic Conference Tournament

Topics referred to by the same term

Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

This victory is significant for Wichita State's basketball program as it advances them in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, keeping their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The win affects players, coaches, alumni, and fans who are invested in the team's postseason success. For Tulsa, the loss ends their conference tournament run and likely their season unless they receive other postseason invitations. Conference tournament results directly impact teams' resumes for NCAA Tournament selection and seeding.

Context & Background

  • The American Athletic Conference (AAC) was formed in 2013 after the breakup of the original Big East Conference
  • Wichita State joined the AAC in 2017 after dominating the Missouri Valley Conference for years
  • Conference tournaments determine automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, with regular season champions still needing to win their conference tournament to guarantee a spot
  • Tulsa and Wichita State have developed a regional rivalry since Wichita State joined the AAC, with both located in the state of Kansas

What Happens Next

Wichita State will advance to the next round of the AAC Tournament, facing another conference opponent. If they continue winning, they could secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team will also await potential at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament if they don't win the conference tournament, with Selection Sunday scheduled for mid-March.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this win mean for Wichita State's NCAA Tournament chances?

This victory keeps Wichita State alive in the AAC Tournament, giving them a path to an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. However, their overall season record and performance against quality opponents will determine if they receive an at-large bid if they don't win the conference tournament.

How have Wichita State and Tulsa performed against each other historically?

Since Wichita State joined the AAC in 2017, the teams have developed a competitive series with Wichita State generally holding the advantage. The geographic proximity between the Kansas schools adds intensity to their matchups in conference play.

What happens to Tulsa after this loss?

Tulsa's season is likely over unless they receive an invitation to a secondary postseason tournament like the NIT (National Invitation Tournament). Their conference tournament elimination means they cannot earn the AAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Who were the standout players in this game?

While the article doesn't specify individual performances, typically in such conference tournament games, key players step up with scoring, defense, or leadership to secure the victory and advance their team's postseason aspirations.

}
Original Source
Wichita State secures 81-68 victory in American Athletic Conference Tournament against Tulsa Led by Kenyon Giles' 27 points, the Wichita State Shockers defeated the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 81-68 in the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday By The Associated Press March 14, 2026, 8:32 PM BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Kenyon Giles had 27 points in Wichita State's 81-68 win against Tulsa on Saturday in the American Athletic Conference Tournament and clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Giles shot 10 for 27, including 7 for 16 from beyond the arc for the Shockers (21-10). Will Berg added 13 points while shooting 4 of 6 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line while they also had 14 rebounds. Michael Gray Jr. shot 5 for 9, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points. The Shockers prolonged their winning streak to six games. Tylen Riley led the way for the Golden Hurricane (25-6) with 18 points, five assists and two steals. Tulsa also got 14 points and two steals from Miles Barnstable. Tyler Behrend also had 13 points and six rebounds. Wichita State took the lead with 6:03 left in the first half and did not trail again. Giles led their team in scoring with 11 points in the first half to help put them up 39-33 at the break. Popular Reads Iran live updates: Trump calls on other countries to assist in Strait of Hormuz Mar 14, 4:58 PM ROTC students subdued and killed Old Dominion University gunman, officials say Mar 12, 8:54 PM Largest US military base in Middle East hit by missile, Qatar says Mar 3, 10:02 PM Wichita State extended its lead to 59-43 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Giles scored a team-high 16 points in the second half as their team closed out the win. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . Sponsored Content by Taboola Popular Reads Iran live updates: Trump calls on other countries to assist in Strait of Hormuz Mar 14, 4:58 PM Larges...
Read full article at source

Source

abcnews.com

More from USA

News from Other Countries

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine