TULSA, Okla. (Interstat) — In a game defined by its frantic final seconds, David Green converted a crucial free throw with four-tenths of a second remaining to lift Tulsa to a 78-76 victory over Temple in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball thriller Sunday at Donald Reynolds Center.

The Golden Hurricane, who trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half and were down two at halftime, completed a second-half comeback to secure their 25th win of the season against six losses. Temple, which had won three of its last four, fell to 16-14.

The contest’s climax was a chaotic sequence of fouls, timeouts, and pressure-packed free throws over the last 17 seconds. With Tulsa leading 75-74, Temple’s Aiden Tobiason was fouled on a drive and calmly sank both free throws to put the Owls ahead 76-75 with 15 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Tulsa’s Tylen Riley drove and was fouled by Temple’s Cam Wallace with four seconds on the clock. Riley made the first free throw to tie the game but missed the second. In the scramble for the rebound, Tulsa’ Romad Dean was fouled by Wallace with four-tenths of a second remaining.

Dean made the first free throw to give Tulsa a 77-76 lead but missed the second. However, on the miss, Temple’s Babatunde Durodola was called for a lane violation, negating the rebound chance. Tulsa retained possession under its own basket with the sliver of time left. On the inbounds play, Temple’s Derrian Ford fouled Tulsa’s David Green, sending the Golden Hurricane’s leading scorer to the line with the clock still at 0.4.

Green missed the first attempt but swished the second, extending the lead to 78-76. Temple’s desperation three-quarter court heave by Ford was off target as time expired.

The game was a tale of two halves, dominated by two standout performers. Temple guard Derrian Ford, a 6-foot-3 junior from Magnolia, Arkansas, poured in 23 points to lead all scorers, with 15 coming in the first half as the Owls built a 34-32 lead. Tulsa’s response was spearheaded by David Green, a 6-foot-7 forward from Apopka, Florida, who scored 22 points, with 16 in the second half to fuel the comeback.

Tulsa’s offense found its rhythm after the break, shooting efficiently and outscoring Temple 46-42 in the final 20 minutes. Key contributions came from Miles Barnstable of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, who had 13 points and three assists, and Tylen Riley of Las Vegas, who added 13 points and a game-high five assists, orchestrating the offense down the stretch.

Temple countered with balanced scoring behind Ford. Jordan Mason of San Antonio scored 19 points, while Aiden Tobiason of Wilmington, Delaware, also added 19, including the two go-ahead free throws in the final moments. Babatunde Durodola of Toronto provided eight points and three assists for the Owls.

The first half belonged to Temple, which used an early 9-0 run and stifling defense to build a double-digit lead. The Owls capitalized on Tulsa’s early shooting woes and turnovers, with Ford and Mason providing the offensive spark. Tulsa chipped away, closing the half on a 13-6 run capped by a David Green three-pointer and a Miles Barnstable layup to trim the deficit to just two at the break.

Tulsa seized control early in the second half, taking its first lead since the opening minutes on a Barnstable three-pointer at the 17:25 mark. From there, the game evolved into a tense back-and-forth affair, featuring eight lead changes and five ties in the second half alone. Neither team led by more than five points after halftime, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

The victory solidifies Tulsa’s position near the top of the American Athletic Conference standings as the regular season concludes, while Temple looks to regroup ahead of the conference tournament. An announced crowd of 5,152 witnessed the contest.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Tulsa entered with an 85% probability to win and was favored by 11 points. The combined score of 154 points fell under the pregame over/under line of 153.