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The Basics
Score: Rogers State 31 - Oral Roberts 91
Record: RSU (4-0) - ORU (3-2)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The defense shined for the Oral Roberts men's basketball team Tuesday night as it limited Rogers State during a 91-31 victory at the Mabee Center. It was the second-fewest points allowed in a single game in the 57-year history of Golden Eagles basketball.
 
ORU held the Hillcats to a 21 percent shooting performance, while knocking down 52 percent of its own attempts on the offensive end. Max Abmas and Issac McBride combined for 40 points on 14-of-19 shooting to pace the squad.

A Francis Lacis triple put the Golden Eagles in front 5-0 and after RSU cut the margin to one, ORU took control scoring the next 10 points over a span of more than six minutes. Nate Clover III highlighted the run as the sophomore converted an and-one opportunity pushing out to a 15-4 advantage.
 
RSU posted a 6-0 run to close the gap, but again the Golden Eagles utilized their defense keeping the visitors off the scoreboard for almost eight full minutes. Abmas, McBride and Carlos Jürgens all converted at the rim stretching the lead to 29-11 behind a 12-0 burst. ORU rode its defensive effort into a 36-14 lead at halftime by limiting the Hillcats to just three made field goals.
 
The deep ball helped the Golden Eagles press their advantage to 42-14 as both Abmas and Jürgens connected from 3-point range in the first 65 seconds of the second stanza. Abmas could not be stopped as the junior added 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and ORU's lead swelled to 32 points.
 
The shooting run continued when McBride and Trey Phipps combined to drain triples on three-consecutive possessions building a 41-point edge. The bench closed out the lopsided win as Elijah Lufile added 10 points down the stretch to finish the 91-31 victory.
 
Turning Point
ORU capitalized on a dominant, 21-4 effort during the final 10:55 of the first half that turned a two-possession game into a 22-point cushion at intermission.

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas was in rhythm all night tallying the 31st outing of his career with more than 20 points as the Rockwall, Texas, native finished with a game-high 23 points.

Rogers State: Gerren Jackson led the Hillcats with eight points and five rebounds.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas scored 11 first-half points and continued that strong shooting effort on the way to 23 points. He made 5-of-8 of his attempts from 3-point range and was 8-of-12 overall.
 
- Similar to his performance Saturday, McBride would not be denied in the second half where he scored 13 of his 17 total points making 3-of-4 from distance.
 
- Lufile reached double-digit scoring in just 11:25 on the court as the redshirt senior scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He also had seven rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. Phipps added nine points and led ORU behind four assists, while Sir Issac Herron gave the team eight points and seven rebounds.
 
- It was the third time in program history the Golden Eagles allowed fewer than 35 points and were just one point shy of matching the school record of 30 versus Baptist Christian Feb. 24, 1990. ORU also gave up 34 points at Oklahoma City Feb. 5, 1983.

News and Notes
- The Golden Eagles attacked the basket early and often as 24 of their 36 points in the opening frame came in the paint. They closed the night scoring 42 points in the paint.
 
- ORU made all 10 of its free throw attempts and shot 52 percent overall, including 61 percent from 3-point range (11-of-18) in the second half.

- Twelve different players recorded their names on the scoresheet Tuesday scoring at least two points.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles turn their attention to a Black Friday showdown with in-state rival Oklahoma State. Opening tip is scheduled for 3 p.m. with live coverage on the ORU Sports Network and locally on KGEB TV-53.1.

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.