The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 84 – Central Arkansas 92 (Exhibition)
Record: ORU (0-0) – UCA (0-0)
Location: Fort Smith, Ark. (Stubblefield Center)
FORT SMITH, Ark. – In its lone exhibition contest of the season, the Oral Roberts men's basketball team saw its second-half lead slip away down the stretch as Central Arkansas claimed a 92-84 decision Sunday afternoon at the Stubblefield Center.
Deondre Burns knocked down a pull-up jumper out of the 12-minute media timeout and the Golden Eagles followed with a Max Abmas 3-pointer to make it a one-point deficit. Abmas knocked down another from long range and Kevin Obanor muscled inside for a basket as ORU's run pushed it in front, 67-63.
The Golden Eagles continued to hold a slim, 73-72, edge on the Bears with 3:28 remaining in the second half only to suffer from a late surge by UCA.
Turning Point
Back-to-back 3-pointers by UCA's Deandre Jones and Hayden Koval erased ORU's advantage and put the Bears on top, 80-78, with less than 90 seconds remaining in regulation.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas, a true freshman, finished with 18 points connecting on 60 percent of his shots going 6-for-10 from behind the arc.
Central Arkansas: Hayden Koval paced the Bears scoring 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the only double-double of the game.
Inside the Box Score
- Abmas wasted no time adjusting to the collegiate game as he knocked down the first three shots he took, all coming from long range and in three-consecutive possessions for the Golden Eagles in the first half. He finished the day with 18 points and scored all of his baskets via the 3-pointer.
- Obanor was another of the Golden Eagles four players in double-figure scoring as the redshirt sophomore tallied 17 points.
- R.J. Fuqua chipped in 14 points, including a pair of late triples in the final 30 seconds, and led ORU with four assists. Deondre Burns added 13 points, three assists and two steals.
- Elijah Lufile paced the team pulling down six rebounds, including five on the offensive end of the floor.
- The Golden Eagles connected on 13, 3-point baskets in the contest shooting 45 percent from distance. The Bears shot 70 percent (19-for-27) in the second half to finish 54 percent in the game. ORU held a 37-33 advantage at the halftime break, but UCA out-scored the Golden Eagles 59-47 in the second half.
News and Notes
- The game was hosted by UA Fort Smith as a Hoops for Disaster Relief effort raising money for the American Red Cross. All proceeds from the event benefit disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross in the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas as well as Southeast Oklahoma.
- Three players fouled out of the game for the Golden Eagles.
- Played as an exhibition, the game does not count in the official record for either team.
Up Next
ORU officially opens the 2019-20 season Nov. 6 on the road against in-state foe Oklahoma State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. with live video on Big 12 Now (ESPN+) and live audio on The Franchise 107.9 FM/1270 AM.
For the latest information on ORU men's basketball, follow @ORUMBB on Twitter or Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics Front Row App at ORUAthletics.com/frontrow or the ORU Golden Eagles Live App in iTunes or the Google Play Store. For tickets, visit mabeecenter.com or call 495-7ORU (7678).
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