Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule

The Basics
Score: Denver 77 - Oral Roberts 86
Record: DU (5-19, 1-9 SL) – ORU (12-10, 5-4 SL)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)

TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball got a career-high 19 points from R.J. Fuqua and 17 second-half points by Deondre Burns to secure an 86-77 home win over Denver Saturday night inside the Mabee Center.

The Golden Eagles led by as many as 19 points during the first half and played more than 34 minutes with a lead, but needed a push in the final frame to secure the home victory in a game featuring wild momentum swings for both sides.

Kevin Obanor took over the early minutes of the contest helping ORU to a 7-0 run as he scored five-straight points for a 7-2 advantage. The Pioneers scored the next six points taking a one-point edge before the Golden Eagles put together another 7-0 run and stretched their lead during a dominant 12-0 stretch covering nearly four minutes moving in front, 28-14.

ORU built its largest lead of the night at 19 points with 6:14 to play, but DU found a way to climb back into the game. The Pioneers closed the frame scoring the final 10 points during a 16-2 push that spanned the final 4:43 as ORU maintained a 38-34 lead heading into the locker room.

Denver pulled within one and eventually evened the game, 54-54, until a 7-0 spurt in a one-minute stretch handed the Pioneers a 61-56 lead. Emmanuel Nzekwesi blocked DU shot attempts on back-to-back possessions allowing ORU to regain a four-point cushion, 65-61, thanks to a 9-0 run. Less than a minute later, Nzekwesi made both free throws following a flagrant one foul as he was undercut near the baseline and R.J. Fuqua added a jumper helping the Golden Eagles to a 71-63 advantage during a four-point possession.

Francis Lacis drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key extending ORU's lead back to double digits, 84-73, providing the decisive blow as the Golden Eagles sealed another home win, 86-77, moving to 9-1 at the Mabee Center this season.

Quote of the Game
"I thought the best thing that we did was we finally went downhill and got the ball to the rim. R.J. was able to make plays, Deondre was able to do the same, but our ability to attack the rim in the second half and hold them 4-of-16 from 3-point range in the game was the difference." – Head Coach Paul Mills

Turning Point
The Golden Eagles recovered from a five-point deficit after Denver built its largest lead behind an 11-2 run. It was a Fuqua floater followed by a Burns shot from distance that deadlocked the score, 61-61. The run extended to 9-0 as Nzekwesi scored four-consecutive points and ORU never allowed the advantage to slip putting away the Pioneers down the stretch.

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Burns was dominant in the second half for the Golden Eagles recording 17 of his team-leading 22 points giving a much-needed spark in a tight ballgame. The Yazoo City, Mississippi, native made 6-of-10 shots in the final stanza.

Denver: Jase Townsend (30 points) and Ade Murkey (24 points) provided nearly all the scoring for the Pioneers combining for 54 points as they put up 36 of the team's 55 shot attempts.

Inside the Box Score
- Burns' strong second-half effort gave ORU the boost it needed down the stretch as the senior went on to pace the offense with 22 points making all six of his free throw attempts.

- Thanks to a career-best eight made free throws, Fuqua totaled a career-high 19 points, while recording five assists and five rebounds.

- Obanor scored 12 points in the game's first 12 minutes totaling 14 before halftime. The redshirt sophomore ended his night with those same 14 points after being forced to the bench for a majority of the second half due to foul trouble to go with eight rebounds.

- Nzekwesi totaled 13 points, aided by a 7-of-8 performance at the charity stripe, and added a game-best nine rebounds. Abmas fell one point short of reaching double figures as the freshman gave the Golden Eagles nine points, all coming via makes from 3-point range.

- Three different players grabbed at least three offensive rebounds as ORU dominated the offensive glass holding a 14-6 margin over the Pioneers and out-rebounded the visitors by a 39-30 mark overall.

News and Notes
- The Golden Eagles converted 17-of-23 free throw attempts in the second half and finished the game shooting 79 percent at the foul line.

- After Denver converted its first 10 shots of the second half, the Golden Eagles were able to limit the opposition to only 5-of-20 for the remainder of the contest.

- Both teams put together double-digit runs during the first half as ORU held a 12-0 stretch, while DU had a 10-0 push to halftime.

- ORU welcomed three members to its Hall of Fame during halftime as Marsha Dawkins (track and field), Jose Trevino (baseball) and Deborah A. Yow (women's basketball) were honored as the Class of 2020.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles hit the road for a pair of league games in North Dakota starting Feb. 6 against the Fighting Hawks of UND at 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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