Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 59 – Wichita State 68
Record: ORU (2-4) – WSU (5-0)
Location: Wichita, Kan. (Charles Koch Arena)
WICHITA, Kan. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team made a late run on the road at Wichita State before suffering a 68-59 loss inside Charles Koch Arena Saturday afternoon.
Trailing by as many as 15 points in the second half, ORU fought back and chipped the deficit down to three points with six minutes left to play, but were unable to get any closer.
The Golden Eagles got early baskets from Deondre Burns and Francis Lacis to take a 4-2 lead in the first three minutes, but the Shockers responded over the next five minutes for a 16-3 scoring run to take control, 18-7.
WSU continued to hold a double-digit advantage in the opening half, 22-11, before Kevin Obanor converted a 3-point play inside the paint and Sam Kearns knocked down a corner triple closing the gap to 24-19. The Golden Eagles were unable to get within five before the break and trailed, 32-25, at halftime.
After Obanor soared to the rim for a dunk on a perfect feed from Kearns in the second half to make the score, 38-31, WSU scored the game's next eight points and held ORU off the scoreboard for more than five minutes. A 6-0 spurt by the Golden Eagles cut the deficit into single digits, 46-37.
With the Shockers lead staying at nine with less than seven minutes to play, ORU scored on three-straight possessions and got key stops defensively to make it a three-point margin, 56-53. Aidan Saunders hit a pair of free throws to keep the Golden Eagles down just three until WSU used a 9-2 run to finish off its fifth-straight victory, 68-59.
Quote of the Game
"We knew given their physicality that we needed to be able to counter some of it. The more we could have Elijah and Kevin on the floor together the better, but Elijah did a good job tonight, specifically with his five offensive rebounds." – Head Coach Paul Mills
Turning Point
The Golden Eagles quickly scored six-straight points to turn the WSU advantage into a three-point ballgame late in the second half and turned momentum in their favor inside a hostile environment. The Shockers weathered the comeback bid and scored seven of the next eight points to regain their cushion.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Elijah Lufile closed the matinee with his first double-double of the season as the redshirt sophomore finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Wichita State: The Shockers got 14 points from both Trey Wade and Jamarius Burton as the duo combined to hit 13-of-18 shots in the contest.
Inside the Box Score
- Lufile was a force on the glass pulling down five rebounds on both ends of the floor totaling 10. He capped his 13-point effort on an alley-oop assisted by Max Abmas as he shot 5-of-9 from the floor.
- Burns posted a team-best 14 points and added seven rebounds, while Obanor was close behind totaling 13 points and seven boards.
- Kearns scored nine of his 12 points in the second half as he was able to get to the free throw line four times in the final stanza. He led the Golden Eagles with three assists.
- ORU held a 14-7 advantage in made free throws shooting 82 percent in the game compared to just 58 percent for WSU.
News and Notes
- ORU dropped to 0-4 on the road this season, while Wichita State improved to 5-0 on its home court.
- As a team, ORU committed a season-low nine turnovers and forced the Shockers into 13, leading to 10 points off turnovers.
- The Golden Eagles connected on just 1-of-11 3-point tries in the opening half and closed the afternoon shooting 13 percent (3-of-23) from long range.
- Lufile played his first-ever game inside Charles Koch Arena, a place his older brother, Chadrack, called home for two years (2012-14) as a member of the Shockers.
Up Next
ORU plays its final game of the season's opening month at the Mabee Center hosting Southwestern Christian for a 7 p.m. tip Monday night.
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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