Storrs — Rodney Purvis admits being his harshest critic.

A few missed shots or a defensive mistake can mess with his mindset.

"It's been really, really, really tough for me," Purvis said after practice Wednesday. "I'm one of the guys who really gets down on myself when I'm not doing well."

Coach Kevin Ollie, a big believer in the power of positive thinking, reminds Purvis to have a short memory, stay focused and good things will eventually happen.

Purvis, a reserve guard, is embracing Ollie's advice.

A couple of blown layups in Saturday's win at Tulane didn't discourage him. He recovered to fuel a late surge, scoring 11 of his 17 points in the final six and a half minutes.

"I love how he responded and came back," Ollie said.

UConn (13-9, 6-4) needs Purvis to keep playing at a high level to conquer its most difficult stretch of the season, starting with tonight's game against Tulsa (17-6, 10-1), the American Athletic Conference leader, at 7 p.m. at the XL Center in Hartford. Next up is a two-game road trip, with stops at second-place Southern Methodist University Saturday and Memphis Thursday.

The Huskies, who reside in fifth place, could significantly improve their resume.

"You don't get any better chance than this...," Ollie said. "Great teams to play, number one and number two in our league, especially in the RPI. To get a good win like this would be great. Both (Tulsa and SMU) are in the top 50 in the RPI. ... It's a great opportunity for us and hopefully we take advantage of it."

The timing is right for a showdown tour, according to senior Ryan Boatright.

"I feel like guys are really buying in and really focusing their attention to details," Boatright said. "We're peaking at the right time. We're coming together and everybody is playing at the top of their game at the right time."

That includes Purvis, who's been a game-changer when he's in attack mode.

Statistics back up Purvis' impact. The Huskies are 8-1 this season when he scores in double digits.

"I've just got to continue to stay aggressive and do whatever I can to help the team," Purvis said.

Tonight's game will be a battle of the backcourts.

Tulsa utilizes a small lineup, featuring juniors James Woodard (14.9 points) and Shaquille Harrison (14.5), two of the top guards in the AAC. Ollie called the Golden Hurricane a deep and athletic team.

In the first meeting on Jan. 13, Woodard torched UConn for 21 points in Tulsa's 66-58 win. A sluggish start and a mistake-prone offense - 15 turnovers led to 20 points for the Golden Hurricane - doomed the Huskies.

"We really didn't show much toughness down there," Purvis said. "We didn't hit them at all and we got off to a terrible start. We've got to come out with a lot of energy and get back in transition.

"I think they're one of the best transition teams in the country. They play like four guards as well. It's going to be a really good game. ... This is a huge game for us."

So far this season, UConn has stumbled against the elite teams in the AAC. The Huskies are 1-3 versus teams with winning conference records. Their only victory came against Cincinnati Jan. 10 in Hartford and the losses were to Tulsa, Temple and Cincinnati.

Ollie is encouraged by what he's seen from the Huskies in recent games, especially the way they took control late in Saturday's road win.

"Hopefully, we can keep playing the way we've been playing...," Ollie said. "We've been going on some great runs this part of the season and hopefully that can continue."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe

Tulsa at UConn

Location: XL Center, Hartford

Tip-off: 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Records: Tulsa 17-6, 10-1; UConn 13-9, 6-4

Last game: Tulsa lost to SMU, 68-57, Saturday; UConn won at Tulane, 62-53, Saturday

Probable starters: Tulsa, 6-3 jr. guard Shaquille Harrison (14.5 pts, 3.4 assists), 6-3 jr. guard Marquel Curtis (7.5 pts), 6-3 jr. guard James Woodard (14.9 pts, 4.7 rebs), 6-7 jr. forward Rashad Smith (8.6 pts, 6.4 rebs), 6-9 jr. forward D'Andre Wright (7.6 pts, 4.7 rebs)

UConn, 6-0 sr. guard Ryan Boatright (17.8 pts, 4.5 rebs, 4.3 assists), 6-4 so. guard Terrence Samuel (4.2 pts), 6-7 fr. forward Daniel Hamilton (10 pts, 6.9 rebs), 6-9 so. forward Kentan Facey (5.1 pts, 6.0 rebs), 7-0 so. center Amida Brimah (10 pts, 4.9 rebs, 3 blks)

Noteworthy: Rematch with AAC-leading Tulsa, which won the first meeting 66-58 on Jan. 13. Woodard with a game-high 21 pts and Boatright just eight. Overall series tied at 1-1. ... Lost to SMU ended Tulsa's 12-game win streak. ... Top reserve: jr. guard Rashad Ray (7.2 pts). ... Boatright needs eight pts to pass Earl Kelley and move into 16th on program's all-time scoring list. ... Hot: Hamilton averaging 9.8 rebs in last four games. Cold: Tulsa's foes shooting 39 percent and averaging 58 pts in last 13 games. ... Injury update: Reserve Sam Cassell Jr. (stress fracture) out. .... As of Wednesday, Tulsa 44th in NCAA's RPI, UConn 97th. ... Up next: UConn visits SMU Saturday in Dallas.