HOUSTON -- Rashad Smith scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help Tulsa overcome Houston 57-44 on Thursday night.

The Golden Hurricane (17-5, 10-0) extended their winning streak to 12 games but not after the American Athletic Conference's first-place team struggled in the first half and trailed 36-29 early in the second half against the Cougars (9-13, 1-9), tied for last place with South Florida.

At that point, D'Andre Wright scored on a pair of dunks and a 3-pointer to start a spurt of 11 unanswered points that become a 17-2 run that left the Hurricane ahead 46-38 with 10:35 left. Meanwhile, the Cougars, after shooting 44.8 percent in the first half, made only 3 of 24 shots in the final 20 minutes.

Wright finished with 13 points with Rashad Ray and James Woodard adding 11 apiece. Smith's double-double was his first this season.

Danrad Knowles scored 10 points for Houston.

Tulsa's 10-0 conference start is its best since the 1968-69 team also started 10-0. The 12-game win streak is the longest since the 1999-2000 team won 13 straight.