BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The stage is set.

One win separates Wichita State from its first postseason conference title in nearly a decade and a long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament after a six-year absence.

The No. 2-seeded Shockers’ 81-68 victory Saturday afternoon in a rubber match against No. 3-seeded Tulsa during the American Conference Championship semifinals wasn’t just their 22nd win of the year. It was the culmination of a season defined by grit, selflessness and a knack for turning tough lessons into positive outcomes.

“I thought their (Tulsa) aggressiveness early got us back on our heels,” head coach Paul Mills said. “We had to battle back. Our guys did.”

While rebounding has been a hallmark of Wichita State’s identity all season, Tulsa owned the glass early in the first half, outrebounding the Shockers 9-3 at one point. Wichita State closed the gap, tying the margin at 20 before the break, and ultimately won the battle of the boards by eight, 42-34.

“Coach (Mills) put it pretty well. They had us on our heels in the beginning,” junior center Will Berg said. “We gathered and collected ourselves and trusted the work that we put in every day.”

“It’s not just, ‘Hey, Will Berg, (Emmanuel Okorafor), TJ (Williams), Dillon Battie, go grab us rebounds,’” Mills added. “Our guards needed to be able to chase them down.

“I thought our guards were able to get in there and make plays.”

Seniors Karon Boyd and Mike Gray Jr. each grabbed six rebounds. Berg was a dominant force, snagging a game-high 14 and adding 13 points for his ninth double-double of the season.

Gray also broke out of a recent offensive slump, having made four shot attempts just once over the Shockers’ final 11 regular-season games. Gray, a 6-foot-2 guard, finished the contest with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists.

“As a player, you always want to see the ball go into the hoop,” Gray said. “But if I can get zero points, six assists and no turnovers, I’m cool with winning every time.”

Three other Shockers scored in double-digits, including a game-high 27 from senior guard Kenyon Giles. Giles immediately found his rhythm, hitting a 3-pointer within the first three minutes of the game and finishing with seven from deep on 16 attempts. Already Wichita State’s single-season 3-point record holder, he also set a single-game program record for a conference tournament game with his mark from beyond the arc.

“It’s a do-or-die game. I don’t want to go home,” Giles said. “And I don’t want my guys to go home either.”

Wichita State ended the game shooting 47.5% (28-of-59) from the field and 46.2% (12-of-26) from deep. At one point in the second half, the Shockers connected at a 50% rate overall and hit 75% of their 3-pointers.

“Our players have confidence,” Mills said. “They believe in their work. You have to trust your work. There was no hesitation.”

The Shockers indeed played without hesitation. What was a six-point game at the break became a lopsided affair within the first nine minutes of the second half. During that span, Wichita State drilled seven shots from deep, opening up its largest lead of the game at 66-46.

The final buzzer sealed the dominant win, but the team’s focus has already shifted. Saturday’s celebration will be short-lived, as the Shockers pivot their attention to the title bout against top-seeded South Florida at 2:15 p.m. Sunday on ESPN, with the winner earning an automatic bid to March Madness.

The teams come into the game as the hottest in the conference, and not just because they both made it this far. Wichita State has now won its last seven games, and the Bulls own a 10-game winning streak — the longest in the league and one of the longest active streaks in the country.

South Florida also handled its semifinal game against No. 5-seed Charlotte, dispatching them by 22 points, 86-64.

The last time Wichita State faced the Bulls was in mid-February — an unfavorable result for the Shockers at Koch Arena. South Florida bullied them during the final 20 minutes in a 66-58 loss in which Wichita State missed 16 of its final 18 shots from the floor.

But that was the game that course-corrected the Shockers for the final time this season. One that fed their seven-game winning streak. One that they want revenge on. One that’ll send Wichita State to March Madness for the first time in six years.

The stage, however, has been set. The teams know who each other are. It’s just a matter of who wants it more.

“Have to be a lot tougher than we were last time. The tougher team wins tomorrow,” Gray said.