Box Score | Post-Game Press Conference | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: South Dakota State 95 - Oral Roberts 80
Record: SDSU (12-5, 6-2 SL) - ORU (11-9, 8-4 SL)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
 
TULSA, Okla. – A strong second-half surge handed the Oral Roberts men's basketball team a 95-80 loss to South Dakota State inside the Mabee Center Sunday afternoon.
 
The Golden Eagles fought to take a one-point lead into halftime, but the Jackrabbits reversed their fortune from one night prior and made a push to the finish to even the weekend series in Summit League action scoring 52 points in the second half.
 
SDSU scored the first eight points of the contest forcing ORU into a timeout just two minutes into the action. The Golden Eagles started to chip away at the deficit on an 8-2 run started by a DeShang Weaver triple that got the home side on the scoreboard. The Jackrabbits had an answer for every ORU run to maintain their edge and stretched the lead to eight, 31-23, with 7:30 to play in the frame.
 
Abmas drained a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound by the Golden Eagles to kick-start a 12-0 run, all of which came from behind the arc, as Kareem Thompson joined the barrage combining with Abmas for all four long balls and ORU moved in front 35-31. SDSU briefly reclaimed a two-point cushion, but Carlos Jürgens buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds giving the Golden Eagles a 44-43 lead at the break.
 
Another triple by Abmas began the scoring in the second half, but it was all Jackrabbits from there as the visitors tallied the next four points and extended the run to 18-4 over the next six minutes staking a 10-point advantage, 61-51. A Thompson 3-pointer stopped the run and the sophomore added an and-1 conversion before Kevin Obanor knocked down a triple as ORU cut the deficit down to five, 65-60, at the mid-point of the half.
 
The Jackrabbits quickly pushed the lead back to double figures and made it a 13-point game, 76-63, by attacking the paint. The margin never dipped below 10 points over the final eight minutes as the Golden Eagles were unable to mount a comeback falling 95-80.
 
Turning Point
Holding a one-point lead at the halftime break, ORU added a 3-pointer from Abmas to open the second stanza, only to see SDSU turn the tides scoring 18 of the next 22 points in a more than six-minute stretch to take a double-digit advantage, 61-51.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas followed up his 42-point effort from Saturday by leading the Golden Eagles scoring 30 points. The Rockwall, Texas, product connected on 6-of-11 from 3-point range and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line.

South Dakota State: Douglas Wilson, the reigning Summit League Player of the Year, led the Jackrabbits with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas had another special performance recording his league-leading fifth game with 30 or more points. The sophomore played all 40 minutes for the Golden Eagles scoring 15 points in each half and added three rebounds and two steals.
 
- Thompson came off the bench and provided a spark offensively for ORU as the sophomore registered a season-best 18 points hitting 6-of-11 shot attempts, including three from 3-point range. He also blocked a game-high three shots.
 
- Obanor totaled 10 points Sunday and led ORU with seven rebounds as he has reached double-digit scoring in every outing this year.
 
- Abmas and Francis Lacis each gave the Golden Eagles four assists.
 
News and Notes
- ORU converted 16 3-pointers on a season-high 41 attempts shooting 39 percent from deep. Six different players made at least one from behind the arc.
 
- The Golden Eagles were beaten on the glass by SDSU, 52-32, and allowed the Jackrabbits to score 44 points in the paint compared to just 14 for the home side.
 
- The Summit League standings are tight at the top as ORU sits in fourth and just a game out of first place with four games remaining.
                                                          
Up Next
ORU continues its difficult league stretch heading to Vermillion, South Dakota, for a two-game set against the conference-leading Coyotes of South Dakota Feb. 20-21.
 
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.