Box Score | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 95 – Omaha 83
Record: ORU (4-5, 1-0 SL) – UNO (2-9, 0-1 SL)
Location: Omaha, Neb. (Baxter Arena)
 
OMAHA, Neb. – It was the Kevin Obanor show Saturday afternoon as the redshirt junior went off for 39 points leading the Oral Roberts men's basketball team to a 95-83 victory at Omaha inside Baxter Arena.
 
Obanor could not be stopped in the 2020-21 Summit League opener powering the Golden Eagles with a 39-point, 10-rebound double-double hitting 16-of-23 shots. ORU took down the Mavericks by shooting 54 percent from the floor and made 16 3-pointers.
 
The Golden Eagles seemed invincible for the opening four minutes hitting 7-of-9 shots from the floor, including five of their first six from distance, building a 19-6 advantage on the road. Following a Mavericks timeout, the home side fought back and held ORU scoreless during an 11-1 run to close the gap to 20-17 before Obanor knocked down one of his six triples on the day.
 
Omaha made another strong push getting within one, 32-31, but Kareem Thompson drained a key 3-pointer stopping the momentum. The Golden Eagles caught fire and took control in the closing six minutes of the opening frame out-scoring Omaha by a 19-5 margin to head into the locker room in front, 56-40.
 
ORU was able to keep the Mavericks at bay and maintained its double-digit edge through the early stages of the second stanza. Francis Lacis connected from downtown giving the Golden Eagles a 77-60 advantage, their largest of the night, and Obanor hammered an alley-oop from Max Abmas for an 87-70 lead with 4:09 to play.
 
The Mavericks did not go away easily scoring 11-straight points to cut the margin into single digits, 87-81, but a corner 3-pointer from RJ Glasper was the dagger ORU needed ending the run and handing the Golden Eagles a 95-83 road win.
 
Turning Point
Glasper drilled a triple from the right wing on the first possession of the night just eight seconds into the game and ORU was off and running with a lead away from home. The Golden Eagles never gave up the advantage the rest of the night and picked up the win to open league play.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Obanor tallied a career-best 39 points on 16-of-23 shooting (70 percent) and added a game-best 10 rebounds going up against the reigning Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.

Omaha: Marlon Ruffin paced the Mavericks with 24 points by shooting 8-of-11 from the field, while Matt Pile added a team-best eight rebounds.

Inside the Box Score
- Obanor scored 30 or more points for the third time in his career and finished with his fourth double-double this year. The Houston, Texas, native dominated the opening stanza posting 24 points and six rebounds on his way to the career outing.
 
- Abmas tallied another 20-point effort giving ORU 25 points, including 18 in the first half, and had a team-leading five assists and three steals. It was the fourth time this season the sophomore has scored at least 20 points.
 
- Glasper chipped in 14 points making 5-of-10 attempts from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers, while Kareem Thompson scored in double figures with 10. Both guys also dished out four assists.
 
- The Golden Eagles totaled 20 assists on 36 made baskets, the second time reaching 20 assists in a game this year. ORU also won the rebounding battle by a 32-30 margin, aided by 10 offensive boards, and committed just nine turnovers.
 
News and Notes
- The Golden Eagles knocked down 11 3-pointers in the first half and closed the day hitting 16 from distance. It was the sixth time in nine games this season they've hit double-digit triples.
 
- ORU's starters scored all but three of the team's points Saturday with all eight players finishing with a positive plus-minus thanks to holding the lead for 39:52 of the 40 minutes played.
 
- ORU won its first road game of the season, while Omaha played its first home game in 311 days after its first 10 contests of the season were on the road.
 
Up Next
ORU closes its first weekend of Summit League play in the second of back-to-back contests at Omaha facing the Mavericks at 4 p.m. Sunday.
 
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.