The Basics: North Dakota / North Dakota State
Game Sixteen / Game Seventeen
Oral Roberts (5-10), (0-0) at North Dakota (6-10), (0-0) / Oral Roberts (5-10), (0-0) at North Dakota State (10-5), (0-0)
Date/Time: Thursday, January 1 | 1:00 p.m. / Saturday, January 3 | 3:00 p.m.
TV/Video: Summit League Network / CBS Sports Network
Live Stats: UND Athletics / NDSU Athletics
Tickets: UND Athletics / NDSU Athletics
Location: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (Grand Forks, N.D.) / Scheels Center (Fargo, N.D.)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The ORU men's basketball program will begin the New Year diving straight into Summit League play, hitting the road for a two-game stint at North Dakota and North Dakota State.

Fans can watch the game on Summit League Network/CBS Sports Network or tune into Behind the Mic with Connor Clark on X, Facebook and YouTube. Fans can also stay up to date on the action by following along on X @ORUMBB.

Important Links
Summit League Notebook
Game Notes

Quick Hits
• 12 Golden Eagles are set make their Summit League debut on Thursday as ORU takes on UND in Grand Forks, N.D.
• Head Coach Kory Barnett was named the 13th head coach of the Oral Roberts men's basketball program on March 8th, 2025.
• The Golden Eagles picked up their first win of the Kory Barnett era on 11/8/25, defeating John Brown 84-50.
• ORU has welcomed 12 newcomers this offseason (four freshmen and eight transfers).
• Luke Gray averaged 3.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg in 2024-25 while Chase Martin utilized a redshirt.
• In 14 games played, ORU ranks 68th in the country in strength of schedule and 80th in non-conference strength of schedule, per KenPom.
• In games won, the Golden Eagles are scoring 85.6 ppg while holding their opponents to just 63.4 ppg.
•  ORU fell 72-53 to the TCU Horned Frogs on the road last Thursday in its second Q1 game of the season.
• On Dec. 18, the Golden Eagles fell in a heartbreaker to Missouri State on the road as the Bears tipped in a layup off a missed three-pointer with just 3.6 seconds on the clock, falling 63-62.
• The Golden Eagles erased a 20-point halftime deficit (42-22) against Montana State on Dec. 6, outscoring the Bobcats 50-26 in the second half to secure the 72-68 victory.
• ORU shot 61.9 percent from deep vs Kennesaw State, its first time shooting 61.9 percent or better since playing Western Illinois on 2/27/20 (63%, 17-27).
• ORU had two double-doubles (vs Haskell) for the first time since facing off against NDSU on March 7^th, 2023 (Abmas- 26/10 assists, Vanover-10/10 rebounds).
• The Golden Eagles grabbed 20 offensive rebounds against John Brown earlier this year, their first 20+ OREB game since facing Haskell on November 18th, 2021.
• ORU recorded 12 total blocks against Oklahoma State, falling just one short of tying its single-game record.
• Connor Dow ranks second in the Summit League in three-point attempts (105) and third in 3-point field goals made, with 35. His 35 3FGM ranks 90^th nationally.
• Ty Harper has tallied double figures in all 15 games this season, reaching the 20-point mark six times.
• Harper ranks fifth in the Summit League in scoring, averaging 16.9 ppg.
• The Golden Eagles rank 18^th in the country in free-throw percentage and first in the Summit League, shooting 77.4 percent from the line this season.
• Defensively, the Golden Eagles rank first in the Summit League in blocks per game, averaging 3.1.
• As a team, ORU ranks 114th in the country and second in the Summit League in three-pointers per game, knocking down 8.9 per game.

Opponent Information: North Dakota
• ORU is 10-6 all-time against the Fighting Hawks and 2-4 in matchups in Grand Forks.
• North Dakota racks up nearly 30 bench points per game, averaging 29.75 and ranking 75^th nationally.
• The Fighting Hawks grab 9.8 steals per game, ranking 26^th nationally.
• UND forces 16.25 turnovers per game and holds a 5.1 turnover margin, ranking 18^th and 15^th in the country, respectively.
• Greyson Uelmen leads the Fighting Hawk offense, averaging 12.3 ppg.
• Eight players average more than 8.0 ppg for North Dakota.
• Head Coach Paul Sather is 79-125 over his seven years at the helm of the Fighting Hawks.
 
Opponent Information: North Dakota State
• The Fighting Hawks sit in second place atop the Summit League standings, holding a 10-5 record.
• ORU holds an 18-24 record against the Bison and is 4-14 on the road
• NDSU ranks first in the Summit League in fastbreak points (13.53) and scoring margin (10.7).
• The Bison rank 36^th in the country in steals per game, grabbing 9.4 per game.
• The Golden Eagles will play their seventh Q3 matchup of the season at NDSU and hold a 2-4 record in Q3 games.
• Damari Wheeler-Thomas and Markhi Strickland are averaging 14.9 and 14.2 ppg for the Bison, respectively.
• Head Coach David Richman holds a 221-147 record over his 12 seasons at North Dakota 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.