MACOMB, Ill. -- The Oral Roberts University women's basketball
team snapped the nation's longest home court win streak (men or
women) on Saturday afternoon as they topped Mid-Continent
Conference leading Western Illinois, 47-37, ending the Westerwinds
46-game win streak at Western Hall.
Western (15-3, 7-1) hadn't lost at home since dropping a 61-57
decision to UMKC on Jan. 21, 2002.
The Golden Eagles (9-9, 3-4) led from wire-to-wire after jumping
out to an early 7-0 lead and never looking back en route to their
first win in Macomb since Jan. 30, 1999.
Jenny Hardin (Claremore, Okla.) led the offensive
charge with 18 points, shooting 7-of16 from the field, and adding
four boards while playing all 40 minutes.
ORU limited Western to just 11 total rebounds during the contest,
establishing a new school record for fewest rebounds by an
opponent. The previous low was 18 boards, coming against St.
Gregory's on Dec. 13, 2004.
The Golden Eagles defense was the story of the day, as they kept
the Westerwind offense off the scoreboard early, and holding on to
a 7-0 advantage more than five minutes into the game.
The lead would increase to as many as nine, 16-7, in the first half
before WIU pulled back to within 18-11 heading into the break.
ORU went back up by 13 points almost half way through the second
stanza, when Hardin knocked down the three-point basket for a 31-18
advantage. Western responded with a 9-2 spurt of their own,
bringing the deficit back to 33-28 with 10:01 to play in the
game.
Sarah Davidson (New South Wales, Australia)
responded with a long bomb from the right side that pushed the lead
back out to 36-28, and the defense held WIU scoreless for more than
five minutes as the Golden Eagles led by 10 points, 38-28, with
less than five minutes to play in the game.
The home squad refused to go away quietly; however, as the
Westerwinds went on an 8-1 run that brought it back to a one
possession game, 39-36, with 1:07 to play.
Leah Cannon (Adelaide, Australia) took the ball
right at Western's Zane Teilane on the next possession, laying the
ball off the glass, just past Teilane's out-stretched arms, to push
ORU's lead back to 41-36 and effectively ending the Westerwinds
streak.
The Golden Eagles kept WIU at bay by hitting all six of their free
throw attempts in the final 22 seconds for the 47-37 win.
Elisha Turek (Council Bluffs, Iowa) had 13 points
and eight rebounds for ORU, while Cannon added six points, five
rebounds, and four assists.
The Golden Eagles will now head to Centenary for a 7:05 p.m.
contest on Monday night.
--ORU--
