Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
2020 Summit League Championship Semifinals
Score: No. 4 Oral Roberts 69 – No. 1 North Dakota State 75
Record: ORU (17-14) – NDSU (24-8)
Location: Sioux Falls, S.D. (Denny Sanford PREMIER Center)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Kevin Obanor and R.J. Fuqua combined to score 50 points, but the No. 4 seed Oral Roberts men's basketball team could not rally down the stretch falling to No. 1 seed North Dakota State, 75-69, Monday night at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in The Summit League Championship Semifinals.
Obanor dominated the interior recording a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Fuqua put up a career-best 23 points as the pair made 19-of-30 shots only to see the Bison attempt 27 free throws in the second half to advance.
Fuqua took over the Golden Eagles offense scoring 12-consecutive points in the early minutes hitting five-straight shots as the redshirt freshman got to the rim for an uncontested layup on the fastbreak. He followed by converting an and-one chance giving his team a one-point lead and continued his scoring prowess knocking down a triple from the right wing as ORU led, 18-14, 10 minutes into the contest.
The Bison hit back-to-back from distance spurring an 11-2 run that covered more than six minutes jumping ahead, 28-22. Obanor drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key ending the NDSU run and kept the Golden Eagles within three, 28-25. Deondre Burns knocked down a pull-up three on the fastbreak pulling even with NDSU, 30-30, but the Bison were able to get off a final triple in the closing seconds taking a 33-30 lead into halftime.
NDSU scored the first seven points out of the break in a three-minute stretch for a 10-point advantage, 40-30, until Obanor pulled down an offensive rebound and scored on the putback. The Golden Eagles turned it on offensively connecting on 6-of-8 shot attempts to pull within one, 47-46, as Burns hit another mid-range jumper and got even at 48 as Obanor attacked the rim for his 20th point of the night.
A 6-0 spurt by the Bison broke the deadlock before Obanor was at it again scoring a three-point play and the Houston, Texas, native added a hook shot from the paint as ORU fought back to close the gap to one, 58-57.
After NDSU pushed its lead to five in the final minute, Fuqua worked his way to the rim as the Golden Eagles trimmed the deficit down to a single possession, 68-65, but were unable to get any closer as the Bison made their free throws down the stretch closing out the semifinal action, 75-69.
Turning Point
ORU made an 8-2 run in a 3:32 span to even the score, 48-48, with 10:11 to play in regulation. NDSU hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the next minute to take a four-point advantage and added two free throws for a 56-50 lead.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Obanor would not be denied inside taking over the second half where he posted 16 of his game-best 27 points and added 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the 2019-20 season.
North Dakota State: Tyson Ward led the Bison with 21 points going 8-for-8 at the free throw line.
Inside the Box Score
- Obanor's relentless effort in the trenches during the second half propelled the redshirt sophomore to a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double, his second of the championships. He pulled down a game-high six offensive rebounds and made 10-of-16 shots, including all six free throw tries.
- Fuqua had a game-high 12 rebounds and five rebounds in the first half on his way to his second game with at least 20 points in the last three outings. He tallied a career-high 23 points hitting 9-of-14 attempts and grabbed eight rebounds playing nearly 39 minutes.
- Burns also pulled down eight rebounds helping ORU hold a 40-39 edge over the Bison on the boards, while the senior recorded 13 points and a team-leading three assists.
- Emmanuel Nzekwesi was limited due to foul trouble and posted two points and four rebounds closing his ORU career with 1,492 points and 889 rebounds.
- Obanor, Nzekwesi and Francis Lacis each registered two blocks in the outing.
News and Notes
- The difference in the game came at the free throw line as NDSU shot 24-of-29 at the stripe, 27 of which came in the second half, while ORU only got to the line 12 times and made 11 of the attempts.
- The Golden Eagles held a 36-20 edge in points in the paint controlling the interior, including a 16-2 edge early in the contest.
- ORU closed its 2019-20 season with a 17-14 record and its first winning campaign since 2014-15.
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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