Box Score | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 80 – Wichita State 85
Record: ORU (1-2) – WSU (1-0)
Location: Wichita, Kan. (Charles Koch Arena)
 
WICHITA, Kan. – Max Abmas had a career night and was joined by Kevin Obanor providing the Oral Roberts men's basketball team's offense Wednesday night in an 85-80 loss to Wichita State that came down to the wire inside a quiet Charles Koch Arena.
 
Abmas went off for 28 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Obanor gave ORU 27 points and seven rebounds as the visitors held a nine-point lead with 11 minutes remaining on the road in front of a near-empty arena due to no fans being allowed.
 
The Golden Eagles raced out to a 5-0 lead in the opening 78 seconds as Obanor hit a mid-range jumper and Abmas connected from distance. The Shockers scored the next seven points erasing ORU's advantage during a 14-2 run.
 
It was all Abmas from that point as the sophomore drilled three-straight from long range in just 38 seconds to even the score, 16-16. Both teams were unable to break the deadlock for nearly five full minutes until WSU hit a pair of free throws inside the 10-minute mark.
 
ORU regained a five-point cushion twice late in the half before WSU posted five of the final six points making it a 38-36 deficit for the Golden Eagles at intermission.
 
Obanor scored 10-consecutive points in four possessions for ORU in the opening three minutes of the second half building a 48-44 advantage. That margin pushed to eight following a DeShang Weaver triple in transition during the back end of a 7-0 burst.
 
After Abmas dropped in a floater that gave the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the night, 61-52, with 10:47 to play, the Shockers responded by tallying the next six points closing the gap. Momentum stayed with the home side over the next five minutes as WSU jumped in front, 76-69. ORU tied the game again, 78-78, but could not break through in the closing minutes as the Shockers held on to win, 85-80.
 
Turning Point
Obanor hit a jumper to give ORU a 66-65 lead with 8:10 to play, but the Shockers bounced back by hitting three free throws on a long foul and used that to spur an 11-3 run for a seven-point edge. That capped a 24-8 stretch that swung momentum to the Shockers after ORU built a nine-point lead.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas' career night saw the sophomore score 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting and dish out eight assists, seven of which were in the second stanza, to go with six rebounds.

Wichita State: Tyson Etienne led the Shockers with a career-high 26 points, including 21 in the second half alone.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas also matched his career best in 3-pointers made draining six for the contest. It was the fourth time he has reached that mark in his ORU tenure and the 10th game of his career scoring 20 or more points.
 
- Obanor caught fire in the early stages of the second half on his way to the 12th 20-point outing of his career. The Houston, Texas, native scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the final frame, including 3-of-5 from distance.
 
- Kareem Thompson and Francis Lacis each grabbed eight rebounds, four offensive and four defensive, to pace the Golden Eagles who won the battle on the glass, 44-42. ORU closed the night with 18 rebounds on the offensive end of the court.
 
- RJ Glasper posted nine points, all of which came in the first half, going 1-of-1 from 3-point range and he converted both free-throw attempts.
 
News and Notes
- ORU entered the contest ranked 15th in the NCAA hitting 83 percent of its free throws, but shot just 54 percent Wednesday making 7-of-13. That showed through even more as WSU held a 22-7 edge in points at the foul line on 15 more attempts than ORU.
 
- The Golden Eagles had two, 20-point scorers for the first time since the 2019-20 season finale against North Dakota State when Obanor (27) and R.J. Fuqua (23) accomplished the feat.
 
- Wednesday marked the season opener for Wichita State after being forced to cancel its first three games in South Dakota and the debut for Interim Head Coach Isaac Brown.
 
Up Next
ORU returns to the Mabee Center for a non-conference tilt with the Eagles of Southwestern Christian Saturday night at 7 p.m. Don't miss any of the action with live coverage on the ORU Sports Network.
 
For the latest information on ORU Men's Basketball, follow the Golden Eagles on Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.