Box Score
The Basics
Score: SDSU 76 - ORU
72
Records: SDSU (15-7, 6-2 SL) - ORU (10-10, 4-3
SL)
Location: Mabee Center - Tulsa, Okla.
TULSA, Okla. - A pair of 3-pointers from Korey
Billbury made it a one-point game with 13 seconds to play, but
Oral Roberts couldn't complete the comeback as the Golden Eagles
fell 76-72 to South Dakota State Saturday night at the Mabee
Center.
Billbury became the 32nd player to score 1,000 career
points at ORU and finished the game with 15 points. Obi
Emegano led the ORU offense with 19 points. Brandon
Conley grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds for ORU, including six
offensive rebounds.
Cody Larson scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the
Jackrabbits. Deondre Parks added 18 points and Jake Bittle scored
13.
Quote of the Game
"That is another tough one. I told the guys in the locker room, it
is hard to beat a good team when you shoot like we did from the
free throw line, miss easy shots and don't defend. Just like our
other two league losses, it was a game that we had chances to win.
Teams that win championships find a way to win these games." -
Coach Scott
Sutton
Turning Point
Korey
Billbury had a shot at a third-straight 3-pointer to tie the
game with four seconds to go but it rimmed out and SDSU was able to
hang on for the victory.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Obi
Emegano led ORU with 19 points while Korey
Billbury added 15. Brandon
Conley had a season high 10 rebounds.
South Dakota State: Cody Larson had game-highs
with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Deondre Parks scored 18 points and
Jake Bittle 13.
Inside the Box Score
- SDSU shot 61 percent (14-23) in the second half and
50 percent (27-54) for the game.
- ORU shot 41 percent (26-63) for the game
- For the fifth time this season, ORU connected on 10 3-point
attempts (10-25) including three each from Korey
Billbury and Darian
Harris.
- ORU was just 10-21 at the free throw line, the first time since
going 2-5 against Stephen F. Austin (Jan. 12, 2013) in which the
Golden Eagles have been below 50 percent from the line.
- SDSU dominated the paint to a 38-18 advantage inside.
- ORU had its opportunities for easy baskets with 18 offensive
rebounds, but held just a 20-18 advantage in second-chance
points.
- ORU out-rebounded SDSU 38-37 overall.
News & Notes
- Korey
Billbury's 1,00th point in an ORU uniform came with
12:57 to go in the game, giving ORU a 48-47 lead. Billbury became
the 32nd player, and the 23rd fastest, to
reach the 1,000 point mark at ORU.
- The loss snapped an 11-game home winning streak. Prior to
Saturday, ORU's last home loss was almost exactly a year ago,
January 25, 2014 to Northwestern State.
- ORU had never lost to South Dakota State at home, entering the
game 5-0 against the Jackrabbits inside the Mabee Center.
- Darian
Harris made his first career start for ORU as the Golden Eagles
used their 10th different starting lineup of the
season.
- ORU inducted three into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, including
Steve Bontrager (men's basketball), Jessica Kellogg (women's
soccer) and Pamela Ontiveros (women's golf). There are now 63
members in the ORU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Up Next
ORU will squeeze a final non-conference contest into
the schedule on Tuesday, January 27, as the Golden Eagles host
Tabor at 7 p.m. at the Mabee Center.
For the latest information on ORU men's basketball, follow @ORUMBB on Twitter or go
to www.ORUAthletics.com.
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