The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 83 – Northern Arizona 76
Record: ORU (3-6) – NAU (6-3)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team defeated Northern Arizona, 83-76, in their first game of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge Wednesday night in the Mabee Center.
 
Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, Issac McBride, put on a show inside the Mabee Center tonight, scoring a season-high 28 points. The Little Rock, Arkansas native shot 50 percent from the floor, hit four three-pointers, and shot 12-for-12 from the free throw line. He scored 17 of his 28 points in the second half, propelling the Golden Eagles to victory.
 
In the first half McBride and Jalen Miller helped jumpstart the ORU offense as the duo each scored 11 points in the opening 20 minutes. Miller went on to record a career-high 14 points on efficient 66/75/75 shooting splits.
 
The freshman duo of Luke Gray and JoJo Moore provided big minutes on both sides of the ball for the Golden Eagles in key moments down the stretch.
 
"I thought Luke Gray gave us some really valuable minutes tonight and competed," said Head Coach Russell Springmann. "JoJo Moore did a really good job moving the ball and creating offense for us. (He) was engaged defensively, as well."
 
Box Score Highlights
Oral Roberts Individuals: Issac McBride 28 points, 4-6 3PT, 12-12 FT, 4 assists; Sam Alajiki 15 points, 6 rebounds; Jalen Miller 14 points, 4-6 FG, 3-4 3PT, Darius Robinson Jr. 13 points.
 
Northern Arizona Individuals: Trenton McLaughlin 24 points, 6 rebounds; Carson Towt 17 points, 16 rebounds, 8-12 FG; Jayden Jackson 17 points, 6-10 FG.
 
Key Team Stats
ORU shot 40.0 percent (22-55) from the floor and 41.9 percent (13-31) from three. The Golden Eagles were outrebounded 42-35. ORU forced seven NAU turnovers and had just six of its own. The Golden Eagles scored 13 points off of NAU's seven giveaways. The Golden Eagles recorded nine assists on 22 made field goals.
 
Turning Point
Between the 15:40 and the 12:37 minute mark of the second half, Sam Alajiki and Darius Robinson Jr. sparked an 8-0 ORU run to bring the Golden Eagles from down one to up seven. Alajiki opened the run with a driving layup followed by a Robinson pull-up three. Alajiki then hit a three of his own, which forced a Lumberjack timeout. The Golden Eagles used this momentum to fuel them down the stretch and held on for the 83-76 victory.
 
Key Stats & Notes

• Four Golden Eagles reached double digits tonight.
• Issac McBride scored a season-high 28 points and drained 4-of-6 from long range.
• McBride's 28 points tied Sam Alajiki (at Belmont) for the most points by a Golden Eagle this season.
• McBride knocked down a career-high 12 free throws, shooting a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe.
• His 12-for-12 free throw shooting is tied for the third most free throws made without a miss in a single game in ORU history.
• Jalen Miller tallied a career-high 14 points, shooting 4-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-4 from three.
• The Golden Eagles made a season-high 26 free throws tonight.
• McBride has now totaled 1,543 points in his ORU career.
• ORU moves to 5-0 against NAU all-time.
• The Golden Eagles are now 2-1 in Big Sky/Summit League Challenge games dating back to last year.

 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles play their second game of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge on Saturday, December 7 at Idaho State.
 
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.