The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 80 – Belmont 90
Record: ORU (2-3) – BU (4-1)
Location: Curb Event Center (Nashville, Tennessee)
 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A 59-point second half by Belmont proved too much for the Oral Roberts men's basketball team as the Golden Eagles fell 90-80 Tuesday night in Nashville.
 
Transfer Sam Alajiki had a career night for the Golden Eagles, scoring a career and game-high 28 points to go along with six rebounds. Alajiki scored 22 of his 28 points in the first half of play as ORU dominated the Bruins in the opening 20 minutes. The Golden Eagles started the game on fire, shooting 55.2 percent (16-29) from the floor and 58.3 percent (7-12) from three in the first half. ORU led 45-31 at halftime, but Belmont found its offensive rhythm after the break. The Bruins caught fire in the second half, scoring 59 points. The Golden Eagles had no answer for the Bruins' hot shooting as Belmont came back to win 90-80.
 
Box Score Highlights
Oral Roberts Individuals: Sam Alajiki 28 points, 9-14 FG, 5-9 3PT, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks; Issac McBride 19 points, 6-18 FG, 8 assists, 2 steals.
 
Belmont Individuals: Tyler Lundblade 25 points, 7-9 FG, 5-7 3PT; Jonathan Pierre 22 points, 7-16 FG, 4-9 3PT, 11 rebounds.
 
Key Team Stats
ORU shot 46.0 percent (29-63) from the floor and 36.0 (9-25) from three. The Golden Eagles were outrebounded for the first team this season. Belmont grabbed 39 boards while the Golden Eagles pulled down 29. ORU had 14 turnovers and forced Belmont into 14 as well. ORU scored 17 points off of Belmont's turnovers. The Golden Eagles dished out 13 assists on 29 made shots. The Bruins outscored ORU in bench points 49-16. The Golden Eagles were whistled for 19 fouls, while Belmont was charged with 16.
 
Turning Point
ORU stretched its lead to 17 in the early stages of the second half, but the Bruins offense started clicking as the half progressed. A 7-0 Bruins run, fueled by five points from Jonathan Pierre, brought Belmont within striking distance down nine. The home team strung together a 15-4 run a few minutes later, making it 56-57 Golden Eagles. With 9:25 left in the game, Alajiki went down with an injury that saw his night come to an end. With the Golden Eagle's leading scorer sidelined, the Bruins capitalized. ORU was able to keep a one-score game until the 4:05 minute mark, but a pair of Pierre free throws put Belmont up five and the Bruins didn't look back.
 
Key Stats & Notes

• Alajiki scored a career-high 28 points on the night. He set his previous career-high of 19 points on 1/6/23 against Stanford when he played for Cal.
• Graduate student Issac McBride recorded a career-high 8 assists tonight against the Bruins.
• Alajiki (28) and McBride (19) were the only Golden Eagles in double figures.
• Guard Jalen Miller secured a career-high seven rebounds.
• Belmont's Tyler Lundblade scored a career-high 25 points. His previous career-high was 14 points.
• Lundblade and Pierre were the only Bruins to make a three-pointer. The duo went 9-for-16 from behind the arc while the rest of the team went 0-for-10.
• ORU falls to 2-3 all-time against Belmont.
• With nine threes made tonight, the Golden Eagles extend its streak of games with 5+ 3PTM to 130 games. This streak is the longest active in the country and the third longest of all time in the NCAA.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles continue their road trip and head down to Oxford, Mississippi to face Ole Miss on Thursday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m.
 
For the latest information on ORU men's basketball, follow @ORUMBB on X, Instagram, and Facebook or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics App in the Google Play or App Store.