Women's Basketball 2/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

ORU Falls Short Against Western Illinois, 63-58, Monday

TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts women's basketball team had three players score in double-figures Monday evening but it wasn't enough to lift the Golden Eagles past Western Illinois, as they fell, 58-63, in the Mabee Center.

ORU falls to 11-14 on the year and 4-10 in Summit League action, while WIU improves to 9-17 overall and 7-8 in conference play. The Westerwinds swept the Golden Eagles this season, as WIU now holds a 16-12 all-time advantage.

Two freshmen led ORU on the night, as forward Jordan Pyle (Mustang, Okla.) scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while guard Georgia Jones (Manchester, England) added 12 points, four assists and four steals. Junior guard Janae Voelker (Newton, Kan.) almost had her double-figure scoring streak snapped but scored her 10th point with nine seconds remaining to take the streak to 25 games, as she chipped in 11 points and grabbed nine boards.

Senior guard Mariana Camargo (Blumenau, Brazil) scored the first two points of the game on a layup at the 18:39 mark in the first half of action, while jumpers from Jones and senior guard Noelia Quintas (Galiza, Spain) gave the Golden Eagles a 6-3 lead with 16:32 left to play. After a 6-all tie, junior guard Amy Pryor (Norman, Okla.) fired her first three-pointer of the night to keep ORU in the lead.

The game was tied again at 9-9 and again at 11-11 before the Westerwinds went on a 7-2 lead to take a five point lead, 18-13, with 7:23 remaining in the half. Three points from WIU's Lindsey Wutt and a jumper from Jantine Kraak gave Western Illinois its largest lead in the first half, 22-14, at the 4:54 mark. Pyle then provided a spark for ORU scoring two straight layups and two Camargo free throws brought it back to a one-possession game, 20-22, with 2:14 to go. A 5-0 run from WIU took it back to a seven-point game before Pryor shot her second three-pointer of the night to make it a four-point game, 23-27, heading into the break.

Voelker shot two free throws in the first 20 seconds on the second half and a three-pointer from Camargo gave the Golden Eagles their first lead in just the first minute of the half, 28-27. WIU's Amanda Walker fired back with a three to regain the lead, while a layup from senior center Monah Pegorari (Sao Paulo, Brazil) tied up the game for the fourth time, 30-30. Western Illinois took an 8-2 run in the next three minutes of action to go up 38-32 with 15:14 left to play.

A three-pointer from Turner brought it back to within a one-possession game, 35-38, as Walker responded with a three-pointer of her own. WIU kept at least a five-point lead through the next 10 minutes of action and took its largest lead, 50-40, at the 5:44 mark. ORU crawled its way out of the deficit as Pyle scored five points in the next two minutes and Jones added a three-pointer to bring the Golden Eagles back to a two-point game, 52-54, with 2:43 remaining. The Golden Eagles got to within three points once more but WIU held a four-point lead or more through the rest of the game.

ORU shot 30.6 percent (19-62) from the field, including 33.3 percent (7-21) from three-point range and a season-high 86.7 percent (13-15) from the free throw line.

The Golden Eagles were out-rebounded 42-33, as ORU scored more points in the paint, 16-8, more points off turnovers, 26-15, more points from the bench, 22-15, and committed less turnovers, 12-22.

WIU shot 40.4 percent (19-47), including 45.5 percent (10-22) from behind the arc and 83.3 percent (15-18) from the charity stripe.

The Golden Eagles take their last regular season road trip this weekend, heading to UMKC on Saturday, Feb. 21 for a 4 p.m. (CT) contest before battling at Southern Utah on Monday, Feb. 23 for a 7 p.m. (CT) tip-off.

-ORU-

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Players Mentioned

#1 Mariana Camargo: G; 5' 11"; Senior; Colegio Sagrada Familia

#4 Georgia Jones: G; 5' 9"; Redshirt; Loreto Grammar School

#43 Monah Pegorari: F/C; 6' 3"; Senior; Joao XXIII

Players Mentioned

#1 Mariana Camargo
: 5' 11"; Senior; Colegio Sagrada Familia
: G

#4 Georgia Jones
: 5' 9"; Redshirt; Loreto Grammar School
: G

#43 Monah Pegorari
: 6' 3"; Senior; Joao XXIII
: F/C

Players Mentioned

#1 Mariana Camargo

#4 Georgia Jones

#43 Monah Pegorari

Players Mentioned

#1 Mariana Camargo

#4 Georgia Jones

#43 Monah Pegorari