The Basics: Northern Arizona
Game Nine
Oral Roberts (2-6) vs Northern Arizona (6-2)
Date/Time: Wednesday, December 4 / 7:00 p.m.
TV/Video: KGEB | Summit League Network
Live Stats: ORU Athletics
Tickets: ORU Athletics
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team hosts Northern Arizona in their first game of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge on Wednesday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m.

Fans can tune into the game on KGEB, the Summit League Network, or stay up to date on the action by following along on X @ORUMBB.

Important Links
Summit League Notes
ORU Game Notes

Quick Hits
• ORU fell to Missouri State, 72-67, in its last outing on Sunday.
• Issac McBride scored 20 points and knocked down four three-pointers. This was his second 20-point game of the season and 18th of his career.
• Forward Sam Alajiki returned to the starting lineup and scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
• Sophomore center Josh Jones recorded back-to-back games with 10+ points for the first time in his career.
• This is the second year of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge. ORU went 1-1 in the challenge last season, defeating Montana State on the road and falling to Weber State at home.
• McBride was named the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year. This is the third time in four years that an ORU player has earned this award.
• On top of his Player of the Year accolade, McBride was also named to the Summit League Preseason First Team, the Bracketeer Preseason All-American Watch List, and the Lou Henson Early Season Watchlist.
• With 1,515 points at ORU, McBride moved to 11th all-time in scoring last game, passing Haywoode Workman.
• This is the fifth all-time meeting between ORU and NAU. The Golden Eagles are 4-0 against the Lumberjacks. The most recent meeting between the two programs was back in 2004.
• ORU was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League Preseason Poll.
• The Golden Eagles welcome 10 newcomers (six transfers, four freshmen) to the 2024-25 squad.
• Of the 10 offseason additions, three of them are natives of Oklahoma. Jackson Skipper (Tulsa), Chase Martin (Jenks), and Luke Gray (Edmond) are all local to the Sooner State.
• Russell Springmann enters his second year at the helm for the Golden Eagles. The program went 12-19 in his first year as head coach and lost in the first round of the Summit League tournament.
 
Opponent Information: Northern Arizona
• Northern Arizona is 6-2 on the season, coming off a three-point comeback win at Houston Christian.
• Senior guard Trent McLaughlin leads NAU in scoring, averaging 22.4 ppg. His scoring average ranks 11th in the NCAA.
• The Lumberjacks are led by Head Coach Shane Burcar, who posts a 63-97 career record at NAU.
 
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.