Missouri State erased a nine-point second-half deficit on the road and had the ball with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, only to come up short 70-67 margin against Tulsa.
Chris Cooks missed a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left. Tulsa traveled on the rebound, giving the Bears one more crack at a tie, but Ryan Jehle’s three from the corner went long, and Tulsa held on for the three-point win.
The Bears (4-3) trailed 42-33 with 17:57 left in the second half and tied the game on a three-pointer by Kyle Weems at the 8:27 mark on the tail of a 17-10 run. Weems finished with a career high 18 points, while Wade Knapp scored 16, also a career best.
Tulsa (5-4) outrebounded Missouri State by a 46-27 margin, allowing the Golden Hurricane 28 second-chance points and 18 offensive rebounds, taking advantage of its size. Seven-footer Jerome Jordan had a game-high 21 points and 9 rebounds, six on the offensive end for the Golden Hurricane.
Missouri State committed just four turnovers in the game, and shot a season-best 44.6 percent from the field. Tulsa shot a season-high 75.7 percent from the free-throw line on 28-of-37.
The Bears return to JQH Arena on Saturday for a 7:05 p.m. engagement with Central Arkansas (4-3) that kicks off a five-game home stand.