HOUSTON -

Oral Roberts University bombarded the University of Houston on Tuesday night, forcing 31 turnovers en route to a 76-60 victory over the defending Conference USA champions at Hofheinz Pavilion. With the win, ORU improves to 5-0 for the first time since 1982-83.

ORU again featured a balanced scoring attack, with four players scoring in double-digits. Kevi Luper led the way, with 24 points, while freshman Bernadett Balla shined for the second game in a row, with 17 points and five rebounds.

Seniors got in on the act as well, as Georgia Jones finished with 11 points and Jordan Pyle chalked up ten.

Defensively, ORU forced a season-high 24 steals. Luper and Pyle led the way with six each, while Dominique Allen added four.

Houston (0-4) was led by Roxanna Button, who scored a career-high 27 points. Freshman Terran Alford ended the game with just five points but led all players with 20 rebounds.

ORU got off on the right foot, scoring nine of the game's first 11 points. Luper capped the run with a backcourt swipe-and-score, giving ORU a 9-2 lead with 15:53 on the clock.

Houston continued to buckle under ORU pressure, giving the ball away repeatedly in their own backcourt. Those turnovers turned into easy Golden Eagle points, and a Pyle basket with 6:07 left in the half made it 27-16, ORU.

A three-pointer by Allen, her first of the season, kicked off a period-ending 13-4 ORU run. The Golden Eagles went into the locker room with a 40-22 lead, their largest halftime advantage of the season to date.

The lead hit 20 very early in the second half. A three-pointer by Jones stretched the gap to 43-22 with 18:52 to play, and Balla finished a fast break with a beautiful basket at the 15:42 mark to give ORU a 50-28 lead.

Though Houston tried to stay close, ORU was never truly challenged after pushing the lead over 20. Two free throws from Luper helped keep the lead in a safe zone, at 60-38, with 9:13 left in the game.

Several freshmen got significant playing time down the stretch for ORU. Elisabeth Daniels, Ieva Eida, Mariah Miles and Emma Gade were part of a lineup that finished off the game for the Golden Eagles, and ORU left with a 16-point victory.

ORU is now 2-3 all-time against Houston. The victory is ORU's first against the Cougars on the road.

The Golden Eagles are home again on Saturday, when they face Missouri State. Tip time at the Mabee Center is booked for 2:05 pm.