The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 66 – St. Thomas 71
Record: ORU (12-12), (5-6) – UST (12-13), (5-6)
Location: Lee & Penny Anderson Arena (St. Paul, MN)
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – After entering halftime tied at 34, the Oral Roberts women's basketball team fell short at St. Thomas on Wednesday evening. With the result, the Golden Eagles move to 5-6 in Summit League play and 12-12 overall.
Three Golden Eagles scored in double figures, led by Jalei Oglesby's 17 points and three steals. Ari Gordon added 13 points and a game-high five steals, while Gentry Baldwin chipped in 12 points and two steals.
Led by A'Maya Holton's two offensive rebounds, Oral Roberts did a strong job on the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in eight second-chance points. Kayten Donley led the team in total rebounds with five.
The ORU defense forced 24 St. Thomas turnovers while committing 12 of its own. Those takeaways resulted in 17 points on the offensive end. Gordon's five steals paced the Golden Eagles.
After falling behind 15-8, ORU went on a 6-0 run with 3:44 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Baldwin to cut the deficit to 15-14. St. Thomas responded and extended its lead, sending the Golden Eagles into the second quarter trailing 19-17. More often seen inside the arc, Oglesby knocked down her first three-pointer of the season with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter.
UST continued to build its lead in the second, taking a 29-21 advantage before Oral Roberts answered with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Azailah Funches, to narrow the gap to 29-28. The Golden Eagles continued to chip away, with layups from Gordon, Oglesby, and Trusty tying the game at 34-34 heading into halftime. Oral Roberts scored 14 of its 17 second-quarter points in the paint.
St. Thomas regained control in the third quarter, and the Golden Eagles entered the fourth trailing 55-43. ORU scored six of its nine third-quarter points in the paint.
ORU cut the deficit to 67-56 before putting together a 7-0 run, capped by Baldwin's three-pointer, to make it 67-63 with 1:13 remaining. The Tommies responded by outscoring the Golden Eagles the rest of the way to secure the 71-66 victory. ORU continued to find success inside, scoring 12 of its 23 fourth-quarter points in the paint.
The Leaders
Oral Roberts: Jalei Oglesby led the Golden Eagles with 17 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field. Kayten Donley grabbed a team-high five rebounds, while Ari Gordon recorded a game-high five steals.
St. Thomas: Alyssa Sand led the Tommies with a double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds, adding two blocks and two steals.
Inside the Box Score
· The Golden Eagles forced 24 St. Thomas turnovers while committing only 12.
· ORU tallied 17 points off turnovers.
· Oral Roberts collected 11 offensive rebounds.
· Jalei Oglesby led ORU with 17 points.
· Kayten Donley pulled down a team-high five rebounds.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles return to the Mabee Center to host Denver on Saturday, February 14.
For the latest information on ORU women's basketball, follow @ORUWBB on X 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.
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