Box Score | Season Stats | 2021-22 Schedule

The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 71 – UT Arlington 62
Record: ORU (6-5) - UTA (3-6)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
 
TULSA, Okla. – Francis Lacis has career night in the Oral Roberts men's basketball team's 71-62 win against UT Arlington at the Mabee Center Thursday evening.
 
The Golden Eagles never trailed in Thursday's matchup against the UT Arlington Mavericks. ORU had 17 assists on 26 made baskets in the 71-62 win. Four Golden Eagles scored in double-digits with Lacis leading the way.
 
Back-to-back three-point buckets by Max Abmas and Lacis gave ORU a nine point cushion with 7:54 left in the first half. Down the stretch to close out the first 20 minutes of play, Weaver went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc to give ORU a 34-23 lead at the break. He then continued his three-point streak in the second half to 5-for-5 from long range.
 
The Mavericks cut it close as the second half got going. UTA went on a 10-0 run to cut ORU's lead to one, 42-41, with 13:32 to play. Elijah Lufile broke the run with a bucket of his own off a Trey Phipps assist. After back-to-back buckets by Abmas, ORU then had a six point advantage. UTA tied the game with 10:18 to play. Trey Phipps knocked down a three-ball and ORU never looked back. ORU put the exclamation point with a block by Weaver that was rebounded by Abmas and scored by Carlos Jurgens to claim a nine point lead with 7:46 left. UTA would pull to within six points, but ORU would end it with a 71-62 advantage.
 
Lacis captured a career high in points (21) and rebounds (11) for his second double-double of the 2021-22 campaign. He also had a career high in makes, (8), three-point makes (5) and tied his career high in steals (4). DeShang Weaver also had a hot night from the three-point line going 6-for-8 to score 18. The duo of Lacis and Weaver went 11-for-16 from long range in the game. Abmas had his seventh consecutive game scoring in double-figures with 11 and led the team with six assists. Phipps was the fourth ORU player to score in double-digits with 10 along with a season high five assists.
 
 
 
Turning Point
After UTA tied the game with 10 minutes to play, Trey Phipps knocked down a three-point bucket to give ORU the lead back. The Golden Eagles maintained the lead the rest of the way and ended the game with a nine point advantage.

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Lacis led the team with career high 21 points. He grabbed 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and third of his career.

UT Arlington: David Azore captured 16 points on the night. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu and Montez Young Jr. each grabbed 10 rebounds.

Inside the Box Score
- Lacis and Weaver went a combined 7-for-9 from three-point range in the first half. Together the two had 25 of ORU's 34 first half points.
 
- ORU shot an impressive 44.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc.
 
- The Golden Eagles had 17 assists on 26 made baskets and led by as much as 13 in the game.
 
- The Golden Eagles defense held the Mavericks to 5-for-17 for 29.4 percent from the three-point line.
 
News and Notes
- Lacis double-double was the fourth team double-double of the season. His 21 points and 11 rebounds is the first 20/10 performance this year for a Golden Eagle.
 
- The Golden Eagles now lead the all-time series with UTA, 5-3.
 
- ORU has made 10-plus three-point buckets in nine of its last 11 games.

Up Next
ORU will head north to open Summit League play against the South Dakota Coyotes Monday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in Vermillion, South Dakota.

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.