Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Houston Baptist 81 – Oral Roberts 95
Record: HBU (0-2) – ORU (1-1)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
TULSA, Okla. – Five players reached double figures helping the Oral Roberts men's basketball team to a decisive, 95-81 victory over Houston Baptist in front of its Homecoming crowd Friday night at the Mabee Center.
Never trailing and playing in front for more than 38 minutes of the contest, the Golden Eagles led by as many as 20 points in the final minute of play. Ultimately, it took a 14-2 run to break a deadlock in the second half to secure the first win of the season.
After a pair of offensive rebounds on its first possession, R.J. Fuqua knocked down a 3-pointer and ORU was quickly on top. An 8-0 run capped by a layup from Elijah Lufile handed the Golden Eagles a 25-17 advantage at the mid-point of the half, but the Huskies fought their way back to make it a one-point game until Max Abmas hit the first of his six 3-pointers giving ORU a 39-35 edge at the break.
HBU continued to hang close and pushed back to tie the game, 57-57, with 10:50 to play when it became the Golden Eagles game. Emmanuel Nzekwesi scored in the paint starting a stretch where ORU scored 14 of the next 16 total points ended by two free throws from Kevin Obanor to lead, 71-59.
The advantage never dropped below eight points over the final eight minutes as the Golden Eagles continued to press the tempo getting up the court to seal the Homecoming victory.
Quote of the Game
"What I shared with the guys is that it's a marathon, not a sprint, and we know we have a lot of areas to cover, but for the most part our veterans have done a good job of leading us." – Coach Paul Mills
Turning Point
Even on the scoreboard, 57-57, the Golden Eagles completely took control of the ballgame scoring a 14-2 run over a nearly four-minute stretch to seize a 12-point cushion with 7:07 remaining. Nzekwesi and Deondre Burns traded buckets to start the run and combined for 10 points in the momentum-swinging minutes.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Burns led the Golden Eagles in scoring for the second time in as many games this season as the senior hit 8-of-16 shots to finish with 21 points, while adding nine rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Houston Baptist: Jalon Gates paced the Huskies scoring a game-best 25 points as he connected on 6-of-13 shots from behind the arc, four of which came in the second stanza.
Inside the Box Score
- Abmas caught fire down the stretch knocking down 4-of-5 shots, including three from long range during a span of 1:42. The freshman posted 11 of his 20 points in that stretch shooting 40 percent from 3-point range for the night.
- Nzekwesi shot 7-for-11 from the field registering 18 points and added three blocks and three steals in a team-leading 33 minutes.
- Sam Kearns and Fuqua joined the list of double-digit scorers behind 11 and 10 points, respectively, and Lufile chipped in another nine off the bench.
- ORU dominated the glass owning a 53-41 rebounding margin, including a 17-10 effort in offensive board. Lufile led the charge with a game-high 11 rebounds, while Burns, Obanor and Nzekwesi all finished with at least eight.
News and Notes
- Eight different players scored at least two points for ORU in the first half and the balanced attack continued as it had five players in double figures for the first time since Feb. 16, 2019 at North Dakota.
- The Golden Eagles converted on 14-of-16 free throws in the second half after hitting just 4-of-10 in the opening 20 minutes.
- It was the second-consecutive game where ORU swiped 10 or more steals to open the season as six different players had at least one.
- Friday marked the first time in program history where the Golden Eagles played a game on Nov. 8 and improved to a perfect 3-0 in home openers for Head Coach Paul Mills.
Up Next
ORU does not have to travel far for its next contest heading to cross-town rival Tulsa for the annual Mayor's Cup matchup Tuesday, Nov. 12. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and fans are encouraged to bring a new or gently used coat to receive free admission helping benefit "Trav's Coats for Kids" drive.
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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