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The Basics
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Second Round
Score: No. 15 Oral Roberts 81 - No. 7 Florida 78
Record: ORU (18-10) - UF (15-10)
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. (Indiana Farmer's Coliseum)
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team beat the clock as the Cinderella story continues with the No. 15 seed rallying past No. 7 Florida, 81-78, in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Sunday night from Indiana Farmer's Coliseum.
 
The Golden Eagles advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history and first since 1974 as it overcame a four-point deficit in the final five minutes and shut down the Gators down the stretch winning their seventh-straight game. DeShang Weaver hit a corner 3-pointer giving ORU an 80-78 lead with 2:09 on the clock and held Florida scoreless to advance.
 
ORU jumped to a quick, 5-3 lead on the Gators as Kevin Obanor scored inside and Max Abmas hit from distance, but needed an Obanor 3-pointer to pull even, 10-10. The Golden Eagles shots didn't fall in the next three minutes as Florida moved in front, 16-10. Sheldon Stevens ignited the bench and crowd of the No. 15 seed knocking down a triple, while drawing contact for the rare, 4-point play as ORU fought back to make it 18-16.
 
Kareem Thompson found space behind the arc and hit after the Gators stretched their advantage to six and later he spun his way to the rim as the Golden Eagles stayed within striking distance, 26-23. ORU attacked the basket and continued the burst as Obanor and Abmas made free throws for a 27-26 lead. The Gators knocked down a pair of triples late in the half and ORU faced a 42-37 deficit at intermission.  
 
After Obanor fought his way inside for the opening bucket of the second stanza, Florida's margin swelled to 11 four minutes into the frame, behind a 12-4 run. Francis Lacis dropped in an acrobatic, put-back and Carlos Jürgens added a floater as ORU closed the gap to five, 54-49. The Gators were able to fight off the run and moved the lead back into double digits twice, but the resilient Golden Eagles were not deterred.
 
A 4-point play from Obanor started a 6-0 span for ORU covering two minutes capped on more Abmas free throws as the No. 15 seed again cut the margin to five, 67-62. Obanor continued to take control hitting a triple before Jürgens came up with a mid-court steal and scored closing the lead to one, 74-73, igniting the majority ORU crowd.
 
Obanor's layup gave the Golden Eagles their first lead since the first half, 77-76, but the Gators came back for a one-point lead with 2:29 to play. ORU held the No. 7 seed scoreless for the rest of the game and Weaver answered on his only made shot of the night, a corner 3-pointer that put the Golden Eagles in front for good on the way to the 81-78 upset.
 
Turning Point
ORU trailed by six with 4:44 to play and from that point would not be stopped out-scoring the Gators by a 13-4 margin getting triples from Obanor and Weaver along with clutch free throws. It was the defense that stepped up to the challenge forcing three turnovers and limited Florida to 2-of-7 shooting to close the victory.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Obanor was a force in the second half making 7-of-10 shots for 20 of his game-best 28 points in the final 20 minutes.

Florida: Tre Mann paced four Gators in double digits with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting.

Inside the Box Score
- Obanor continued to prove his dominance as an inside-out threat putting together a 28-point, 11-rebound double-double, his second of the NCAA Championships, knocking down 4-of-7 from distance. The Houston, Texas, native scored 20 points in the second half and also led ORU with a career-best four steals.
 
- Abmas finished his 19th game this season scoring at least 20 points as the sophomore poured in 26 by getting to the foul line where he made all 12 attempts. He gave the Golden Eagles a game-high seven assists and had two steals.
 
- Thompson and Jürgens provided ORU with much-needed scoring posting nine each, while Thompson and Lacis also had three steals as the team finished with 12.
 
News and Notes
- While their long-range shots weren't falling consistently, the Golden Eagles attacked the rim and found their way to the free-throw line 23 times making 19 for an 83-percent clip. They still closed the contest hitting 10-of-30 from distance.
 
- ORU's relentless defense forced the Gators into 10 turnovers in both the first and second halves as it got hands in passing lanes and put the clamps on the seven seed late.
 
- ORU is now 4-5 all-time at the NCAA Tournament and making its second appearance in the Sweet 16. They are just the second No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 joining the 2012-13 FGCU squad.
 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles have a rematch with the Razorbacks of Arkansas in the Sweet 16 and will play March 27 at a date and time to be determined.
 
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.