Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Central Oklahoma 57 - Oral Roberts 69
Record: UCO (3-7) – ORU (5-5)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
TULSA, Okla. – Deondre Burns showcased his speed up and down the court leading the Oral Roberts men's basketball team to a 69-57 victory over Central Oklahoma Saturday night scoring a season-best 22 points at the Mabee Center.
Stifling defense pushed the Golden Eagles out to a commanding 11-0 advantage by holding the opposition scoreless for more than six minutes to start the contest. Burns had the hot hand to open the game for ORU scoring six of the team's first eight points.
Max Abmas knocked down a long-range triple and the lead increased to 21-9 at the 7:40 mark. Aidan Saunders was the fourth player to hit a 3-pointer in the opening half for the Golden Eagles making it a 13-point cushion. ORU entered halftime in front of UCO, 30-21, as Burns scored on the final possession pushing his total to eight in the first frame.
The Bronchos fought back early in the second stanza using a 6-2 run to close the gap down to 32-27 and kept it within five on three different occasions. ORU quickly scored five-straight on a Francis Lacis 3-pointer getting the lead back in double figures, 42-32, with 13:24 remaining in regulation.
The Golden Eagles continued to pull away down the stretch as Kevin Obanor joined the 3-point party pushing the margin to 18, 60-42, as the defense held UCO to just four points over a four-minute gap. The visitors would not go away chipping away at the lead before ORU closed out the win, 69-57.
Quote of the Game
"I thought the first 10 minutes our guys were really locked in on our scouting report and understood everything probably as well as we have all year. We had a few lapses, but for the most part the players did a good job, including adjustments at the half." – Head Coach Paul Mills
Turning Point
The Bronchos cut the ORU advantage down to five points in the early minutes of the second half, but the Golden Eagles responded as Burns grabbed a defensive rebound and sprinted down the court scoring at the rim. Lacis followed that by draining an open triple from the top of the key and ORU again led by double figures.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Burns closed the night registering a season-high 22 points, including 14 points in the second half playing 37 minutes. The senior finished the night shooting 8-of-13 with a 3-of-4 effort from 3-point range.
Central Oklahoma: Cam Givens provided nearly all the offense for the Bronchos shooting 6-of-9 from the floor posting 18 points as the only visiting player to reach double-digit scoring.
Inside the Box Score
- Burns used his explosive first step to attack the paint leading the Golden Eagles offensively with 22 points. He hit three from 3-point territory and added a game-high four assists.
- Sam Kearns added 11 points thanks to a 6-of-7 effort at the free throw line.
- The inside force of Elijah Lufile and Kevin Obanor combined for 17 rebounds totaling nine and eight, respectively, while ending the game scoring eight and nine points.
- Six different players connected from 3-point range for ORU.
- The Golden Eagles capitalized on a wide edge at the free throw line out-scoring UCO by a 23-12 margin at the charity stripe.
News and Notes
- With the win, ORU improved to 5-0 on its home court inside the Mabee Center this season.
- ORU recorded a season-high seven blocks getting three from Obanor and Lacis, while Ty Lazenby added the other block.
- The Bronchos, a NCAA Division II member, played the game as an exhibition and its win/loss record was not affected by the outcome.
Up Next
ORU hits the road for its part of The Summit League/WAC Challenge Dec. 17 heading to Chicago, Illinois, to battle the Cougars of Chicago State. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
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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