The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 76 – Omaha 84
Record: ORU (5-15), (1-6) – UNO (13-9), (7-0)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team fell, 84-76, to the first-place Omaha Mavericks Saturday night in the Mabee Center and move to 1-6 in Summit League play.
 
In front of a crowd of over 4,000 people, ORU nearly pulled off a 17-point comeback behind a monster second half by freshman JoJo Moore. Moore scored 16 of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes as he tried to will the Golden Eagles to victory, but Omaha's JJ White had a career-night to push his team to victory. The senior guard scored a career-high 35 points to hold the Golden Eagles at bay and help carry Omaha to a 7-0 record in Summit League play.
 
The Mavericks jumped out to a lead early in the first half. From the 12:29 minute mark to the 7:18 mark, Omaha went on a 12-2 run to take its first double-digit lead of the game. ORU was forced to play catchup the remainder of the half as Issac McBride scored 11 of his 20 points in the first half of play.
 
The Golden Eagles opened the second half on a quick 6-0 run to trim the deficit to 11 points. Omaha was able to grow its lead back out to 17 with 10:50 following a JJ White layup. ORU regrouped and immediately blitzed UNO with a 10-3 run over the next two minutes. The Golden Eagles continued to creep up on Omaha's lead, but White was there to silence the ORU runs each time. Darius Robinson Jr. trimmed the lead down to as little as four with 2:36 remaining, but White responded for UNO with a three of his own to help the Mavericks pull away and hold on for the win over ORU.
 
Box Score Highlights
Oral Roberts Individuals: Issac McBride 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists; JoJo Moore 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists.
 
Omaha Individuals: JJ White 35 points, 8-9 FG, 4-5 3PT, 15-18 FT; Marquel Sutton 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists.
 
Key Team Stats
ORU shot 47.3 percent (26-55) from the floor, 26.9 percent (7-26) from three, and 68.0 percent (17-25) from the free throw line. ORU had seven turnovers, and the Mavericks had eight. The Golden Eagles were outrebounded 34-29. Omaha outscored ORU 12-1 in fast break points. Both teams were whistled for 20 fouls.
 
Key Turning Point
After clawing back from down 17, Darius Robinson Jr. drained a right-wing three for ORU to cut the Omaha lead down to four with 2:36 remaining. On the ensuing possession, JJ White responded with a step-back, three of his own as the shot clock expired, pushing UNO's lead back out to seven.
 
Key Stats & Notes

• Issac McBride reached the 20-point mark for the ninth time this season.
• Josh Jones eclipsed the 10+ point mark for the fifth time this season.
• JoJo Moore surpassed double-digit scoring for the 10^th time this year.
• ORU falls to 1-5 in Summit League play this year.
• Omaha earned its first win in the Mabee Center since 2016.
• McBride is now up to 1,767 points in his ORU career.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles are back in action Wednesday night as they travel to Minnesota to face the St. Thomas Tommies.
 
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.