The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 71 – St. Thomas 66
Record: ORU (7-20), (3-11) – UST (20-9), (10-4)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
 
TULSA, Okla. – Clutch free throws in the final 25 seconds helped the Oral Roberts men's basketball team knock off St. Thomas 71-66 Saturday night in the Mabee Center.
 
The first 20 minutes of the game was a rock fight between the two programs. Both teams struggled to get anything going on offense, as ORU shot 27.3% in the first half, and St. Thomas shot 30.8%. The Tommies led 27-25 at the break, and both teams went back to their locker rooms to regroup.
 
ORU found itself down 32-25 with 17:55 in the second half, but Issac McBride drew a foul on a three-pointer and jump-started the Golden Eagle offense. McBride hit all three free throws, and one minute later, Sam Alajiki added a three-pointer of his own. McBride capped off the run with a side-step three at the left wing, and ORU now led 34-32. St. Thomas stopped the bleeding on its next possession with a Kendall Blue jump shot in the paint, and it was a back-and-forth battle over the next several minutes. A pair of free throws by Darius Robinson Jr. with 6:55 left gave ORU its first two-possession lead. The Golden Eagles stretched that lead all the way to eight points, but the Tommies instantly responded with a 6-0 run of their own and trimmed their deficit to two. ORU, however, stepped up in the clutch and hit 9-of-10 free throws over the final 25 seconds to hold on and take the 71-66 win over second-place St. Thomas.
 
Box Score Highlights
Oral Roberts Individuals: Issac McBride 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals; Jalen Miller 12 points, 7-7 FT, 3 rebounds; Jackson Skipper 11 points, 3-6 3PT; Luke Gray 11 points, 4-5 FG.
 
St. Thomas Individuals: Nolan Minessale 17 points, 6 rebounds; Ben Nau 12 points, 4-6 3PT, 5 rebounds; Carter Bjerke 12 points, 7 rebounds.
 
Key Team Stats
ORU shot 36.2 percent (21-58) from the floor, 35.5 percent (11-31) from three, and 81.8 percent (18-22) from the free throw line. ORU had six turnovers and forced eight St. Thomas turnovers. The Tommies narrowly outrebounded ORU 37-36, but the Golden Eagles won the second chance points battle 8-1. ORU's bench outscored St. Thomas' 27-15. Both programs tallied 11 assists.
 
Key Turning Point
In the last 25 seconds of the game, ORU was put on the free-throw line 10 times by the Tommies to try and extend the game. The Golden Eagles shot an efficient 9-for-10 (Jalen Miller 6-6 FT, Issac McBride 3-4 FT) from the charity stripe to seal the victory.
 
Key Stats & Notes

• Issac McBride led the Golden Eagles in scoring for the 17th time this season with a game-high 19 points.
• Jalen Miller knocked down a career-high seven free throws en route to a 12-point performance.
• Jackson Skipper and Luke Gray each chipped in with 11 points off the bench to round out ORU's four double-digit scorers.
• Mathok Majok made his first career start tonight.
• Issac McBride was honored pregame for reaching 2,000 points for his collegiate career. He now sits at 1,921 for his ORU career.
• The Golden Eagles held St. Thomas to its lowest point total in league play this season (66).
• Head Coach Russell Springmann earned his first career victory over the Tommies.
• ORU moves to 3-11 in Summit League play.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles host South Dakota State on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. for Senior Night in the final home game of the 2024-25 season.
 
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.