Box Score | Post-Game Press Conference | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: North Dakota 72 – Oral Roberts 71
Record: UND (3-9, 2-1 SL) – ORU (5-6, 2-1 SL)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
TULSA, Okla. – Kevin Obanor posted a 21-point, 18-rebound double-double, including a milestone 500th career rebound, but the Oral Roberts men's basketball team gave up a free throw in the closing seconds of a tie game suffering a 72-71 setback to North Dakota Friday night from the Mabee Center.
 
The Golden Eagles held a two-point lead, 71-69, in the final 46 seconds after a Max Abmas jumper only to see the Fighting Hawks answer on their next possession evening the score. A mid-court steal and subsequent foul led to UND converting its second of two free-throw attempts with 3.4 seconds on the clock and got a block on ORU's buzzer-beating bid to snap the home side's two-game win streak.
 
Obanor used an acrobatic finish at the rim off his own miss to get ORU on the board barely a minute into the game, while securing his 500th career rebound on the play. The Fighting Hawks scored the next seven points for a 7-2 lead before the Golden Eagles answered with seven-straight points of their own jumping in front by two. Facing a three-point deficit, ORU took control of the next five minutes keeping UND off the scoreboard and tallied 11 points for a 22-14 advantage with nine minutes remaining in the frame.
 
The Golden Eagles stretched their lead to double digits, 29-19, but the Fighting Hawks used a 9-0 run late in the half to deadlock the game, 31-31. ORU was able to break UND's momentum and head into the locker room holding a 37-33 edge by recording six of the frame's final eight points.
 
RJ Glasper drilled a 3-pointer four minutes into the second half giving the Golden Eagles a six-point cushion, 44-38, and Abmas later pushed that margin to seven on another triple. UND knocked down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions closing the gap to one, 51-50, and took a slim lead with nine minutes to play. Obanor and the Fighting Hawks' Filip Rebraca traded knockout blows as if it were a heavyweight prize fight as both teams would not back down from The Summit League challenge.
 
Francis Lacis and Obanor each hit from the outside allowing ORU to regain its edge down the stretch. Glasper delivered again with 4:16 remaining breaking a 63-63 tie as the lead switched sides 11 times over the final eight minutes. UND was able to get the tying basket with 25 seconds and ORU's untimely turnover allowed the visitors a chance to escape with the road win, 72-71.
 
Turning Point
The Fighting Hawks battled back from a two-point deficit in the final 46 seconds as Rebraca scored at the rim to tie the game, 71-71, with 25 seconds to play. Seybian Sims hit the back end of his two free throws in the closing seconds to earn UND's second conference win of the year.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Obanor capped his sixth double-double of the season with 21 points and 18 rebounds registering 20 or more points for the 16th time in his tenure. The redshirt junior also rattled the rim on a pair of highlight-reel dunks in the second half.

North Dakota: Rebraca posted 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting and had a team-leading nine rebounds to pace the Fighting Hawks in both categories.
 

With his first rebound of the game @_KevinObanor is the 28th player in #ORUMBB history with 500 career rebounds! #GoldenStandard pic.twitter.com/Z3ZQAFeA1r

— ORU Basketball (@ORUMBB) January 9, 2021

Inside the Box Score
- Obanor dominated the opening minutes of the action on his way to a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in the first half alone. He ended with 21 points and 18 rebounds, including eight boards on the offensive end.
 
- Abmas also scored in double figures during the first stanza totaling 11 points as the sophomore went on to register 18 points and did not leave the court playing all 40 minutes. A number that won't show up in the stat sheet was Abmas drawing three charges on the defensive end of the floor.
 
- Glasper recorded 11 points and five rebounds and matched Kareem Thompson for the team lead with three assists.
 
- The Golden Eagles finished with a season-best eight blocks Friday getting two from Obanor, Lacis and DeShang Weaver.
 
News and Notes
- With his first rebound of the night barely a minute into the contest, Obanor became the 28th player in program history to record 500 career rebounds. The Houston, Texas, native has averaged 7.4 boards per game in 68 outings for the Golden Eagles and currently leads The Summit League in rebounding.
 
- The Golden Eagles scored nearly a third of their 33 points in the first half at the free-throw line hitting 10-of-11, but were unable to get to the line in the second half finishing 14-of-15 at the charity stripe.
 
- The game featured 15 lead changes and nine tie scores, while ORU held a lead for more than 30 minutes. The Golden Eagles trailed for only 1:53 of the second half.
 
Up Next
ORU returns to the court for the final game of the weekend hosting the Fighting Hawks in game two Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. live 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.