The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 68 – Denver 70
Record: ORU (5-14), (1-5) – DU (7-15), (1-6)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team fell, 70-68, in heartbreaking fashion Thursday night against Denver.
 
Down four with 57 seconds to play, JoJo Moore secured a defensive rebound after Denver's DeAndre Craig missed the front end of a one-and-one. Moore found Jalen Miller on an outlet pass down the floor, and Miller converted on a layup and got fouled. The senior guard completed the three-point play, and ORU made its way down the court to make a defensive stand.
 
The Golden Eagles came up with the stop and called a timeout with 23 seconds remaining. Out of the timeout, Issac McBride made an aggressive drive for the home team and got fouled with seven seconds left on the clock. McBride converted one of two at the line to tie the game.
 
ORU lined up for one more defensive stop, looking to send the game to overtime. However, Sebastian Akins and Denver got downhill off the inbound, putting the defense on its heels. Akins drove down the baseline and found a diving Abdulai Fanta Kabba, who dunked the ball with 1.8 seconds remaining. McBride couldn't get a half-court heave to fall, and the Denver Pioneers came away with their first Summit League victory on the season.
 
Box Score Highlights
Oral Roberts Individuals: Jalen Miller 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3-3 3PT; Josh Jones 12 points, 4 rebounds.
 
Denver Individuals: Nicholas Shogbonyo 15 points, 5 rebounds; DeAndre Craig 13 points, 9 rebounds; Abdulai Fanta Kabba 10 points, 6 rebounds.
 
Key Team Stats
ORU shot 46.7 percent (21-45) from the floor, 31.6 percent (6-19) from three, and 74.1 percent (20-27) from the free throw line. ORU had 13 turnovers and the Pioneers had seven. The Golden Eagles outrebounded Denver 32-30, but DU recorded 11 second-chance points to ORU's two. The Pioneers recorded 11 assists while the Golden Eagles tallied six.
 
Key Turning Point
With seven seconds left, Sebastian Akins drove down the right side of the baseline and found Abdulai Fanta Kabba cutting down the lane for a game-winning dunk.
 
Key Stats & Notes

• Jalen Miller has recorded back-to-back games in double-figures for the first time since 11/13/24.
• Josh Jones eclipsed the 10+ point mark for the fourth time this season.
• ORU falls to 1-5 in Summit League play this year.
• Denver earned its first win in the Mabee Center since 1/20/18.
• McBride is now up to 1,747 points in his ORU career.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles are back in action Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. against Omaha in the Mabee Center.
 
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.