Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 96 - Denver 100 (OT)
Record: ORU (14-13, 7-7 SL) – DU (5-23, 1-13 SL)
Location: Denver, Colo. (Hamilton Gymnasium)
DENVER, Colo. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team held a double-digit lead in the final five minutes of regulation, but could not hold off Denver falling, 100-95, in overtime Thursday night at Hamilton Gymnasium.
The Golden Eagles built a comfortable advantage in the second half leading by as many as 12, but were pushed to the finish by the Pioneers. Three made free throws by Denver with 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime, where the home side scored the first four and last four points to take down ORU.
The Pioneers held a slight edge for the opening minutes and used a 7-1 run during a short two-minute burst to gain control, 24-14, before the Golden Eagles started to chip away. Emmanuel Nzekwesi tallied 12 of the team's first 20 points and got offensive support from his teammates as ORU cut the margin into single digits and capitalized on an 8-0 run covering 2:16 to tie the score, 28-28.
Max Abmas caught fire and drilled three-consecutive shots from distance, two of which put ORU in front, 31-30 and 34-32, but Denver recovered for a three-point cushion. With seconds to play in the half, Abmas got a long rebound and R.J. Fuqua found Sam Kearns in the corner where the senior beat the buzzer knocking down a triple to even the score, 42-42, heading into the locker room.
ORU did not waste any time asserting its dominance in the second half putting up 10-straight points in a 3:37 span to break a tie and take a 54-44 advantage on the road. The lead stretched to 12, 67-55, as Abmas converted another shot from distance at the mid-point of the stanza. The Pioneers posted a run of 9-0 to close the gap to three and eventually took a 79-78 lead turning ORU's 10-point advantage into a one-point deficit behind a 13-2 stretch.
The Golden Eagles were able to recover and retake a five-point lead, 88-83, with 16 seconds in regulation and held a three-point edge after Deondre Burns made a pair of free throws as the clock ticked down to three seconds.
Denver forced overtime, 90-90, hitting three free throws with 1.2 seconds showing on the clock as Jase Townsend was fouled on his desperation 3-point bid. It was the home side that scored the first four points of the extra period until Kevin Obanor hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to pull ORU even, 96-96. The Pioneers tallied the final four points for the win, snapping a seven-game losing streak.
Quote of the Game
"Denver 100% deserved to win. I thought they came out with great energy. As you saw in the overtime, they got every single loose ball on their long rebounds. They finished with 12 offensive rebounds and four of them were in overtime. To their credit, they were a desperate team and they deserved to win." – Head Coach Paul Mills
Turning Point
With 1.2 seconds remaining in the second half, a foul by ORU on Denver's 3-point try sent Townsend to the line with a chance to tie the game. The Pioneers' sophomore converted all three attempts, despite a called timeout prior to his last try. That momentum spurred Denver during an 11-2 run covering the final seconds of regulation and the opening two minutes of the extra period.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Nzekwesi put together another impressive performance, this time while sharing the court with his younger brother, a sophomore for the Pioneers. The redshirt senior tallied his 10th double-double of the season finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds leading all players in each category.
Denver: Ade Murkey, reigning Summit League Player of the Week, paced the Pioneers scoring 26 points thanks to a perfect 8-of-8 effort at the charity stripe.
Inside the Box Score
- Nzekwesi hit 11-of-20 attempts on his way to 29 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
- Abmas closed the night recording 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range making more than half of the team's 10 made shots from distance.
- Kearns registered a season-high 16 points as the senior shot 50 percent from the floor, while Obanor also scored in double figures totaling 14 points. Both players shot 6-of-12 overall in the contest.
- Fuqua led the Golden Eagles with six assists as the team tallied 16 assists compared to just 10 turnovers.
News and Notes
- The Golden Eagles fell to 0-7 all-time in games played at Denver.
- ORU scored at least 90 points for the seventh time during the 2019-20 campaign, but allowed a season high against.
- The Golden Eagles played their second overtime game of the season, both coming in the last eight days.
Up Next
ORU returns home for its final two games of the regular season starting as part of a basketball doubleheader at the Mabee Center Feb. 27. First tip against the Fighting Leathernecks of Western Illinois is scheduled for 7:30 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).
#GoldenStandard
