The Basics
Oral Roberts (11-9, 8-4 SL) at South Dakota State (11-9, 9-3 SL)
Game One Date/Time: Saturday, February 20, 2021 / 3:30 p.m.
Game Two Date/Time: Sunday, February 21, 2021 / 2:30 p.m.
Location: Sanford Coyote Sports Center / Vermillion, S.D.
Live Video (Saturday): GoYotes Live
Live Video (Sunday): ESPN3
Live Stats: USD Athletics
Radio: 99.9 FM ESPN Radio
 
TULSA, Okla. – Just one game out of first place, the Oral Roberts men's basketball team has a chance to make up ground heading to South Dakota for a pair of Summit League contests Feb. 20-21.
The Golden Eagles split each of their last two weekends against two of the top three teams in the standings and now face the third in that grouping, the Coyotes. Tune in for live audio on ORUSN and the ORU Athletics app with local radio coverage on 99.9FM ESPN Radio.
 
Important Links
ORU Game Notes
Opponent Game Notes
Summit League Notes
 
Scouting the Opponent        
• The Golden Eagles own a 9-7 record when facing the Coyotes all-time and won three of the last four meetings. ORU is 4-4 against USD in games in Vermillion, South Dakota.
• After winning 10-straight games, including the first nine league contests, USD has dropped three in a row, but remain in a three-way tie for first place following a sweep at the hands of North Dakota.
• The duo of Stanley Umude (20.9 ppg) and A.J. Plitzuweit (18.0 ppg) have used their ability to get to the free-throw line to rank in the league's top five scorers at second and fifth, respectively, combining for 178 made free throws.
 
Quick Hits
• ORU split a home series with South Dakota State claiming the opening game 103-86 behind 42 points by Max Abmas, the second-highest scoring outing by a NCAA player this season, before falling in game two 95-80. Abmas averaged 36.0 ppg earning the first Summit League Player of the Week honor of his career and was named Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Week.
• The Golden Eagles are now the top 3-point shooting team in the NCAA hitting 11.6 per contest, led by Abmas, who ranks third in the country making 3.7 per game. ORU also is 22nd in the country averaging 81.0 ppg as the top scoring offense in the conference.
• After 72 points last weekend, Abmas vaulted to second nationally in scoring averaging 23.2 points per game and needs 111 to reach 1,000 for his career. He also sits second in the league with a 1.9 assist to turnover ratio.
• Obanor has pulled down a league-leading 188 rebounds this season to rank 20th in all of college basketball, while his 10 double-doubles are ninth in the country.
• ORU remains one of the nation's best free-throw shooting teams sitting in second making 80.7 percent of its attempts with Abmas (89.2) and Obanor (87.5) in the top 40 of the NCAA at 19th and 40th, respectively, in free-throw percentage.
• ORU was picked to finish second in The Summit League Preseason Poll behind only defending regular season co-champion South Dakota State.
• The Golden Eagles have eight new faces for 2020-21 with two grad transfers (RJ Glasper, Justin Lovvorn), two junior college transfers (Sheldon Stevens, Kareem Thompson) and four freshmen (Jonathan Alexandre, Jamie Bergens, Nate Clover III, Ismael Plet).
 
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