The Tulsa defense forced 14 Fort Wayne turnovers and created nine steals, led by Xavier Alexander and Brady Morningstar with two thefts each. The 66ers held the Mad Ants to 24-of-68 (.353) shooting overall.
Offensively, the 66ers posted 17 assists on 28 made buckets, led by Dyson with four dishes.
The game, which included a combined 92 free throws between the two squads, featured 14 lead changes and nine ties.
“Give the Fort Wayne players credit, they hung in there and made the plays needed to win,” 66ers head coach Dale Osbourne said. “We will get back to work and not hang our heads. I have confidence we will learn from tonight and move on.”
Leading Fort Wayne off the bench was Sadiel Rojas with 18 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Gilbert Brown scored a game-high 21 points.
The 66ers return to action next Thursday, Feb. 2, when they host the Reno Bighorns at 7 p.m. CT inside the Tulsa Convention Center.