Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule

The Basics
Score: North Dakota 73 - Oral Roberts 88
Record: UND (8-10, 2-2 SL) – ORU (9-8, 2-2 SL)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)

TULSA, Okla. – Max Abmas and Deondre Burns combined for 46 points leading the Oral Roberts men's basketball team to a decisive, 88-73, victory over North Dakota Saturday night at the Mabee Center.

The Golden Eagles won their 10th-consecutive home game dating back to last season pushing the tempo against the Fighting Hawks, while shooting 58 percent from the floor.

Abmas had the hot hand early for ORU as the freshman scored seven of the team's first nine points helping the home side to a 9-6 lead. Burns added a triple as the margin stretched to 12-7. The Fighting Hawks were able to get within one, 12-11, but the Golden Eagles picked up their defense keeping the visitors off the board for nearly four minutes.

UND tied the score, 19-19, and the teams went back-and-forth until an Abmas 3-pointer capped a 7-0 run for ORU jumping in front, 30-23. The Fighting Hawks responded with the next seven points to even the score before Burns beat the halftime buzzer in the lane giving ORU a 37-32 edge at the break.

After UND closed the gap to five in the second half, 51-46, the Golden Eagles took over the game putting together a 12-0 run during a 4:36 span to push their advantage to 63-46. ORU forced the Fighting Hawks into six-straight missed shots over that run as the frame reached the middle minutes.

An 8-2 spurt by UND got ORU's lead down to eight, 77-69, until a 9-0 run by the Golden Eagles pushed their margin right back to 17 points sealing the conference win, 88-73, as ORU remained unbeaten at home this season, a perfect 8-0.

Quote of the Game
"I think we are pretty good when we play fast. R.J. has speed and you saw that tonight with Deondre and his ability to get to the rim. I think that opens up opportunities for Max. Because of those guys and their ability to attract attention, it allows Max to get open opportunities." – Head Coach Paul Mills

Turning Point
A 12-0 run by the Golden Eagles turned a two-possession contest into a commanding, 17-point cushion at the mid-point of the second half. Kevin Obanor and R.J. Fuqua each knocked down a 3-pointer and a layup during the stretch that buried the visitors.

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas capitalized on the speed of his fellow guards as their play allowed him open looks all night shooting 64 percent in the game with a career-best 27 points. The Rockwall, Texas, native went 4-of-8 from distance and hit all four of his free throws.

North Dakota: All five starters scored in double figures for the Fighting Hawks led by Kienan Walter's 19 points shooting 8-of-13.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas posted 15 points in the opening half for the second-straight outing shooting 6-of-10 in the frame. The freshman went on to score a career-best 27 points hitting 9-of-14 attempts and added three assists.

- Burns posted 19 points hitting 7-of-13 shot attempts and registered a season-high nine assists, the most by an ORU player this season.

- Fuqua came off the bench giving the Golden Eagles his most points of the campaign recording 13 points making three 3-pointers. He added three assists, two steals and two rebounds.

- Emmanuel Nzekwesi chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds, while Francis Lacis gave ORU 11 boards, his highest total of the season.

News and Notes
- ORU's Elijah Lufile and UND's De'Sean Allen-Eikens were ejected for Flagrant 2 fouls with 16:08 remaining in the second half. Lufile finished with eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor, but had the highlight of the night hammering an alley oop off an inbound pass from Burns.

- The Golden Eagles shot only one free throw in the first half and missed it, but were able to make 9-of-10 attempts in the second half finishing at 82 percent for the game.

- ORU extended its home winning streak into double figures dating back to last season claiming its 10th-straight, while moving above .500 at 9-8 this year and 2-2 in league play.

Up Next
ORU hits the road for its next three Summit League tests starting Jan. 16 in Macomb, Illinois, facing the Fighting Leathernecks of Western Illinois.

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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