Dennis beats buzzer with miracle 3-pointer

Wichita+State+guard+Dexter+Dennis+takes+a+shot+during+the+first+half+of+the+game+against+ECU+on+March+5%2C+2019+at+Charles+Koch+Arena.+%28Photo+by+Joseph+Barringhaus%2FThe+Sunflower.%29

Joseph Barringhaus

Wichita State guard Dexter Dennis takes a shot during the first half of the game against ECU on March 5, 2019 at Charles Koch Arena. (Photo by Joseph Barringhaus/The Sunflower.)

Dexter Dennis is a hero in his home state of Louisiana.

Dennis hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Tulane 82-79. He released the ball with .1 seconds left in play. Wichita State erased a nine-point deficit in the final nine minutes of play.

Dennis was scoreless, missing all four of his attempts in the game, before hitting the game-winning shot at the buzzer. Dennis is a freshman from Baker, Louisiana. He grew up a little less than two hours from New Orleans. He had plenty of family in attendance for the game against Tulane.

Joseph Barringhaus
Wichita State guard Dexter Dennis dunks the ball off a pass from Erik Stevenson during the first half of the game against ECU on March 5, 2019 at Charles Koch Arena. (Photo by Joseph Barringhaus/The Sunflower.)

Tulane (4-26) finished 0-18 in the American Athletic Conference.

Samajae Haynes-Jones missed a three-pointer with the game tied at 79. Wichita State maintained possession with .5 seconds left and a shot to end the game.

Tulane’s Samir Sehic and Caleb Daniels combined for 56 points. Behind Daniels, who scored 31 of his career best 36 points in the second half, Tulane erased a nine-point halftime deficit to take a nine-point lead of its own.

Wichita State (17-13, 10-8 AAC) ended the season with a four-game winning streak. The Shockers have won nine of its last 11 games. Wichita State is the first team in American Athletic Conference history to finish better than eighth in the conference after a 1-6 start to conference play.

With the win, Wichita State locked up the No. 6 seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament. The Shockers will play East Carolina in the first round of the tournament at 9 p.m. (CT) Thursday in Memphis. The Shockers swept the regular-season series with East Carolina, having last beaten the Pirates in the home finale on Tuesday.

Joseph Barringhaus
Wichita State forward Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler makes a layup during the game against Tulane on Feb. 9, 2019 at Charles Koch Arena. (Photo by Joseph Barringhaus/The Sunflower).