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The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 89 – Denver 80
Record: ORU (15-7, 9-2) - DU (8-16, 4-7)
Location: Denver, Colo. (Hamilton Gymnasium)
 
DENVER – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team earned its seventh road win of the season with a 89-80 victory at Denver Saturday afternoon in Denver, Colorado.
 
Once again the Golden Eagles had multiple players score in double-figures in Saturday's game. Max Abmas recorded 28 points for the second-straight game. DeShang Weaver captured 15 points and Francis Lacis and Issac McBride each scored 11. Elijah Lufile had his second consecutive double-digit night with 10.
 
The Golden Eagles started the game strong jumping out to a nine point lead five minutes into the game. After the first 10 minutes had gone by, the Golden Eagles saw themselves with a 13 point advantage before back-to-back three-pointers for Denver pulled the Pioneers back to within seven. After the Golden Eagles went back up by 10, the Pioneers went on an 11-3 over the span of three minutes. With 37 seconds remaining in the first half, Denver tied the game at 40 apiece. Lacis managed to lift ORU up by two with seven seconds to go. KJ Hunt went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe for Denver on the following possession as ORU led at the break, 42-41. ORU shot 48 percent in the first half as Abmas led with 14 and Weaver had 10.
 
After tying the game twice early in the second, ORU regained the lead by one on a three-point jumper from Lacis at 16:34. The Golden Eagles went back up by nine with 7:22 to play with a three-pointer by Abmas. The Pioneers cut the lead to two Trey Phipps hit his first triple of the game. Denver made it a two point game again and Phipps answered with another three-point bucket and was fouled. He capitalized on the four point play to lift ORU back up by six with 2:14 to go. Weaver followed with a three of his own to extend the lead to 83-74 with 1:36 left. The nine points were the difference in the game as McBride closed out the victory with two free-throws to end it, 89-80. He had all 11 of his points in the second half.  
 
Denver's Coban Porter, who did not compete against ORU in game one, was one of two Pioneers to have 20-plus points on the day as he finished with 26. Tevin Smith shot percent overall on the day and went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line to finish with 20. Jordan Johnson was the third Pioneer to have double-digits after an 18 point day.
 
Turning Point
Denver managed to cut the ORU lead to two before Trey Phipps hit back-to-back three-pointers with the second being an and-one to go back up by six with minutes to play. Weaver added another long range shot to give the Golden Eagles a nine point lead with 1:36 to play.       

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas ended the night with 28 points and Lufile grabbed eight rebounds.

Denver: Porter scored 26 and Tainamo grabbed nine boards.

Inside the Box Score
- The Golden Eagles scored 36 points in the paint. ORU's bench production secured 28 points.
 
- ORU 50 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc.
 
- Denver shot 45.6 percent overall and 44.4 percent from long range.
 
- ORU out-rebounded Denver, 38-31. The Golden Eagles secured 11 offensive rebounds.
 
- The Golden Eagles had seven turnovers on the day with six in the first half and one in the second.
 
News and Notes
- For his 18th consecutive game, Abmas had 10-plus points. It was his 11th-straight game to lead ORU in scoring. He's had 13 20-plus point games this season.
 
- The win in Colorado was the third-straight win for ORU at Denver.
 
- For the second-straight game, ORU recorded 14 three-point jumpers made. The Golden Eagles have scored 10 or more three-pointers in 17 games this season.
 
- With seven road wins this season, it is the most road wins for the Golden Eagles since the 2012-13 season.

Up Next
ORU returns home for the next three games beginning Thursday, Feb. 3 against Western Illinois at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to visit www.oruathletics.com/freetickets and show the voucher at the promotions table in the North Lobby to redeem up to four (4) free tickets. It will also be Teacher Appreciation Night at the Mabee Center.

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.