Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 67 – Tulsa 74
Record: ORU (1-2) – TU (2-1)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Donald W. Reynolds Center)
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team could not stop a strong surge in the second half falling at Tulsa, 74-67, in the annual Mayor's Cup game Tuesday night from the Reynolds Center.
ORU was unable to hang on to a four-point advantage in the second half and overcome a quiet shooting performance. The Golden Eagles hit just 33 percent from the floor and 29 percent from long range.
After a slow start saw the Golden Eagles trailing, 9-5, it was their defense that swung the momentum holding the Golden Hurricane to just one point over a stretch of six minutes. Elijah Lufile converted a put-back on an offensive rebound as ORU claimed a 10-9 lead.
Tulsa regained a slim margin and stretched it to seven, 24-17, but four-straight points by Deondre Burns and three made free throws from Kevin Obanor helped the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to one and ended the half down, 32-28.
Max Abmas drew a foul and connected on all three free throws to close the TU lead to one early in the second half before Emmanuel Nzekwesi drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key tying the score, 34-34. Obanor put ORU in front corralling an offensive board and beat a double team to convert at the rim. Tulsa responded in the middle of the stanza using an 8-0 run over a two-minute span and eventually pushed the mark to double figures, 65-55.
ORU got within five points down the stretch as D'Mauria Jones knocked down two free throws and a 3-pointer, but was not able to get the timely baskets needed for a road win falling, 74-67.
Turning Point
After Nzekwesi scored at the rim putting ORU in front, 50-46, at the 10:56 mark, the Golden Hurricane were able to take command of the contest. The home side limited ORU to two points during a span of five minutes registering a 15-2 run for a nine-point cushion, 61-52.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Obanor recorded his first double-double of the young season as the redshirt sophomore led the squad with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Tulsa: Brandon Rachal led all scorers with 24 points hitting 9-of-12 from the floor and added nine rebounds totaling double his previous high in points this year.
Inside the Box Score
- The Golden Eagles were a force on the offensive glass totaling a 14-9 edge over their cross-town rivals getting six from Obanor and four from Lufile generating 15 second-chance points. Obanor capped the effort pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with his 13 points.
- Abmas reached double-digit scoring in the contest posting 12 points, but was limited to just 3-of-15 shooting from the floor.
- Nzekwesi was limited due to early foul trouble and ended the night with 10 points scoring double figures for the third time this season. With his fourth point of the contest, the redshirt senior moved into 25th place on ORU's all-time scoring list.
- Burns led the Golden Eagles matching a season-high five assists, while adding eight points and four rebounds.
News and Notes
- ORU got double-digit scoring from at least four players for the second-straight outing as Obanor (13), Abmas (12), Nzekwesi (10) and Lufile (10) all reached the mark Tuesday.
- Tulsa committed 12 turnovers in the opening half leading to 11 points for the Golden Eagles, but had just four in the second stanza. ORU turned the ball over a season-low 12 times and for the third time in as many games finished with double-digit steals.
- The loss is the fourth-straight for the Golden Eagles in the Mayor's Cup.
Up Next
ORU heads north for a road trip to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten Friday night. Catch the action starting at 7 p.m. on BTN+ or listen live on www.ORUAthletics.com.
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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