TULSA�€"Caleb Green (Tulsa, Okla.) and
Ken Tutt (Garland, Texas) combined to score 39
points and Oral Roberts University withstood yet another late UMKC
rally for a 74-68 Mid-Continent Conference win, Thursday at Mabee
Center.
The
victory, combined with Western Illinois�€™ 64-63
win over Oakland, gives ORU a 1-and-a-half game lead in the Mid-Con
standings with four games to play.
Leading
58-40 with 4:32 remaining, the Golden Eagles (17-8, 9-1 Mid-Con)
watched their lead dwindle to as little as five points in the
waning moments. The late rally was the second for UMKC against the
Golden Eagles this season. The Kangaroos nearly wiped out all of a
19-point second half deficit on Jan. 13 in Kansas City, as ORU
survived for a 75-68 win.
On
Thursday, it was more of the same. UMKC�€™s
(8-17, 3-6) Quinton Day scored 14 of the
Kangaroos�€™ final 28 points, hitting a variety
of one-handed circus shots to help keep it close. But the deficit
was too large for the �€˜Roos to overcome, and
the Golden Eagles earned their 17th consecutive Mid-Con
home victory.
Both
teams were sluggish in the first half, each shooting 32.1 percent
in the opening 20 minutes as ORU led 27-23 at halftime. But 59.1
percent shooting in the second half helped the Golden Eagles pull
out the win.
The
Golden Eagles slowly took control of the game in the second half,
using a 19-4 run to turn a 39-36 contest at 13:38 into a 58-40
advantage with 4:32 to play. Green and Moses
Ehambe (Arlington, Texas) combined to score 14 of the 19
points during the run. The burst helped ORU survive the Kangaroos
final rally.
Green
finished the night 6-of-9 from the field, but only 8-of-14 from the
free throw line. The senior forward also added 10 rebounds for his
13th double-double of the season, and the
59th of his career. He also extended his double-figure
scoring streak to 54 games.
Tutt
was 4-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-8 on three-pointers, and
7-of-9 from the free throw line. The senior guard added five
rebounds.
Ehambe
chipped in with 13 points off the bench. Adam
Liberty (Oklahoma City, Okla.) recorded a season-high
eight assists for the Golden Eagles.
Day led
all scorers with 25 points on 10-for-25 shooting, adding five
assists, five rebounds and two steals. Dee Ayuba tossed in 18
points for the Kangaroos.
ORU
shot 44 percent for the game, compared with 41.7 percent for UMKC.
The Golden Eagles also owned a 42-28 rebound advantage.
ORU
next hosts Southern Utah, 7:05 p.m., Saturday at Mabee Center.
--ORU--
