Box Score | Season Stats | 2023-24 Schedule

The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 71 – UT Arlington 75
Record: ORU (0-1) - UTA (1-0)
Location: Arlington, Texas (College Park Center)
 
ARLINGTON, Texas. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team fell short in its season opener, 75-71, at UT Arlington Monday evening in Arlington, Texas.
 
The Russell Springmann era of Oral Roberts basketball began Monday evening with a battle against UT Arlington in the DFW metroplex.  Kareem Thompson led ORU with 20 points as four Golden Eagles scored in double digits.
 
Newcomer Jailen Bedford showcased his style with 11 first half points to lead all scorers going into the break. Five minutes in to the game, DeShang Weaver hit a three to put ORU up by five. With 10 minutes left, UTA would tie the game before taking a five point lead with 8:54 on the clock. The Golden Eagles would spark a 9-0 run to lead by four with five minutes to play that was capped off by a three-point by Kareem Thompson. ORU would extend the run to 11-4, but with four seconds left in the half Thompson hit another three to lift his team to a 36-31 halftime lead. ORU shot 43.3 percent in the first and held the Mavericks to 28.6 from the field.
 
In the second half, ORU went on a 7-0 run to go up by 11 with 17 minutes to play. A 7-0 run by UTA cut it to a four point lead with 15 minutes to play. After an offensive rebound by Thompson, DeShang Weaver cut the Mavericks run with a three. However, UTA was able to tie the game, 54-54, with 8:35 to play. Down the stretch, there was back and forth play with multiple lead changes, but UTA took a six point lead with four minutes to go with a 9-0 run. A pair of free-throws by Issac McBride made it a four point game with 3:51 to go. Weaver hit a three after a turnover by UTA to pull to within one with three minutes left. The Mavericks hit a three to make it a 70-65 game with 1:44 to go. The Mavericks would keep ORU at arms-length and hold a 75-71 advantage.
 
Weaver had a career high eight blocks to go along with his 17 points. Bedford and McBride each ended the night with 12 points. Overall the Golden Eagles shot 40 percent from the field and maintained a lead for 24 minutes.

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Kareem Thompson had 20 points and DeShang Weaver had six rebounds.

UT Arlington: DaJuan Gordon scored 24 points and had a double-double with 14 rebounds.

Inside the Box Score
- ORU started the season with double-digit three-pointers made with 10.
 
- ORU shot 40 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from beyond the arc.
 
- The Golden Eagles had 10 assists on 24 made baskets.
 
- The Golden Eagles had 26 points in the paint.
 
News and Notes
- Weaver's eight blocks goes down as tied for the fifth most blocks in a single game in ORU history.
 
- The Golden Eagles maintain the series lead with a 5-4 overall record against UTA.

Up Next
ORU will head home to defend one of the nation's longest home winning streaks with a homecoming matchup against Mid-America Christian Friday, November 10 at 7 p.m. 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.