Box Score | Post-Game Press Conference | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Western Illinois 59 - Oral Roberts 95
Record: WIU (7-14, 5-9 SL) - ORU (13-10, 10-5 SL)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (Mabee Center)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team closed its regular season in impressive fashion Sunday evening routing Western Illinois, 95-59, at the Mabee Center.
 
The Golden Eagles had all 13 players see the court and score at least two points, while the defense shut down the visitors allowing just 59 points, the fourth time surrendering less than 60 points in a game, and 25 percent (16-of-64) shooting.
 
The Leathernecks got the game's opening basket in the first minute only to see ORU score 11 of the next 13 points before pushing the advantage to 22-8 less than eight minutes into the action. The lead dropped to single digits just once as the Golden Eagles continued to dominate as Max Abmas scored eight-straight points for the home side pushing the margin to 35-16.
 
ORU went into halftime with a 23-point cushion, 54-31, thanks to four free throws by Abmas in the closing seconds as WIU was called for a technical foul with emotions running high.
 
The offensive explosion continued in the second stanza as the Golden Eagles registered the first 14 points, getting 10 points by Kareem Thompson alone, as the lead swelled to 73-36 capping an 18-0 burst that ran back into the first half.
 
ORU forced the Leathernecks into missing 13-consecutive shots over a seven-minute stretch allowing only three free throws. The home bench took over from there and kept the momentum going as the margin never dipped below 28 points on the way to a 95-59 victory.
 
Turning Point
It was all ORU from start to finish as the team generated runs of 17-3, 11-2 and 18-0 pushing its advantage as high as 37 points.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas went 7-of-11 overall and made all eight free-throw attempts, all of which came in the first half, as he scored 20 or more points for the ninth-straight game and 15th time this season finishing with 25 points.

Western Illinois: Colton Sandage did not have the shooting night he did Saturday, but still led WIU with 18 points behind an 8-of-9 effort at the free-throw line.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas was efficient in limited action as the sophomore tallied 25 points in 25 minutes as all of his points came in the opening stanza. He also had three assists and three steals leading ORU in each category. It was the first time he played less than 36 minutes in a league game as he saw the court for just 5:11 in the second half.
 
- Kevin Obanor recorded a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double in just 25 minutes of play and added two assists and two blocks. He closed the regular season as the only Summit League player to average a double-double per game at 18.6 points and 10.0 rebounds.
 
- Thompson registered 12 points hitting 5-of-8 from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 from 3-point range.
 
- Jamie Bergens scored nine points, while Nate Clover III gave ORU nine rebounds as the pair was on the floor less than 15 minutes. The Golden Eagles bench combined for 35 points and 23 rebounds.
 
News and Notes
- ORU held a lead for 38:24 of the contest and trailed for just 46 seconds in the first minute of the game.
 
- The defense stepped up Sunday as ORU held the Leathernecks to 25 percent from the floor and just 13 percent from distance as the visitors were 3-of-24 from 3-point range.
 
- The Golden Eagles closed the regular season with a winning record for the second-straight season and went 8-3 inside the Mabee Center.
 
Up Next
ORU heads to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to begin its title hunt at the 2021 Summit League Men's Basketball Championships at the Sanford Pentagon as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5 North Dakota in the quarterfinals March 7 at 5:45 p.m.
 
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.