TULSA—Oral Roberts University limited North Dakota State to
34.5 percent shooting and four players scored in double figures for
ORU as the Golden Eagles opened Summit League play with a 69-57
win, Thursday at Mabee Center.
Four players scored in double figures for the Golden Eagles (5-3,
1-0 Summit) as ORU captured its 19th consecutive conference home
win.
Robert Jarvis (Humble, Texas) led the Golden
Eagles with 13 points, while Moses
Ehambe (Arlington, Texas), Shawn
King (Bequia, St. Vincent) and Adam
Liberty (Oklahoma City, Okla.) each scored 11.
North Dakota State (4-5, 0-1) entered the game with the Summit
League's top offense, averaging 87.9 points per game. But ORU used
its superior length and athletic ability to hold the Bison to
nearly 31 points below their season average.
Senior forward
Yemi Ogunoye (Cedar Hill, Texas) limited league
scoring leader Ben Woodside to six points – more than 20 below
his average – on 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
The Golden Eagles trailed only once, when NDSU's Brett Winkelman
scored on a layup to make it 2-1 with 19:16 remaining. From that
point on it was all ORU.
Leading 16-11 with 9:08 to play in the first half ORU went on a
10-2 run, taking a 26-13 lead on a Jarvis three-pointer with 5:42
to go before halftime.
NDSU twice cut the lead to seven points before intermission, but
ORU rallied in the closing moments and held a 35-24 lead at
halftime.
ORU built the lead to as many as 16 points in the second half when
Ehambe drained a three-point from the left wing with 16:24 left.
NDSU tried to get back in the game, using a 9-2 run to get within
44-35 on a free throw by Lucas Moorman with 10:34 left, but ORU
quickly pushed back out to a 13-point lead on a layup by King and a
three-pointer by
Kelvin Sango (Tulsa, Okla.) which made it 49-36
with 9:46 left.
The Bison never got closer than eight points the rest of the
way.
While ORU's defense was shutting down the Bison, the Golden Eagles'
offense was solid. ORU shot 50 percent form the field, and made a
season-high 11 three-pointers. The Golden Eagles also committed a
season-low 11 turnovers, complimenting that total with 17 assists,
including five each from Jarvis and forward Marcus
Lewis (Long Beach, Calif.).
King added five rebounds and four blocks, while Liberty had six
rebounds.
Winkelman led all scorers with 22 points for the Bison, hitting
8-of-16 from the field and making all five free throws. Mike Nelson
chipped in with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, helping NDSU
to a 39-31 rebounding edge.
The Golden Eagles continue Summit League play when they host South
Dakota State, 7:05 p.m., Saturday at Mabee Center.
-ORU-
