The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 93 – South Dakota State 95
Record: ORU (13-13), (6-7) – SDSU (21-6), (11-2)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
TULSA, Oklahoma – The Oral Roberts women's basketball team had all five starters reach double figures in scoring for the first time since 2023 in a 95-93 loss to South Dakota State on Thursday evening.
Jalei Oglesby led the way with 19 points, closely followed by
Anna Trusty with 18.
Gentry Baldwin and
Ari Gordon added 15 and 14 points, respectively, while
Kayten Donley chipped in 12 points and a team-best six rebounds.
The Oral Roberts offense was strong from deep, pouring in 11 three-pointers on 20 attempts. Trusty hit a game-best four threes in the contest.
Oral Roberts' defense held South Dakota State to just 18.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Jackrabbits also struggled to clean up their misses on the offensive glass, finishing with six offensive rebounds and six second-chance points, while ORU secured 26 defensive boards.
It was a tight game throughout, with the score tied 10 times in the first quarter alone. ORU held a two-point lead at the media timeout after
Taylor Jackson blocked a potential go-ahead layup. Baldwin led the team in the opening period with seven points, shooting 2-for-2 from the floor, including a three, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. ORU entered the second quarter tied, 26-26.
The second period remained close, with ORU holding its largest lead of the first half, 35-31, after a Baldwin three forced an SDSU timeout. The Jackrabbits then edged ahead late in the quarter, and the Golden Eagles went into the break trailing 42-41. Baldwin and Oglesby both reached double figures in the second quarter, each tallying 10 points.
SDSU extended its lead after halftime, building a 50-45 advantage before Oral Roberts responded with a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from
Ari Gordon, to tie the game at 50 with 6:39 remaining in the third. The Golden Eagles were unable to push the rally further, as the Jackrabbits took a 66-64 lead into the fourth quarter. ORU knocked down four three-pointers in the period, accounting for 12 of its 23 points.
South Dakota State pushed its lead to 68-64 early in the fourth before Oral Roberts answered with a 5-0 run, capped by an
Alana Shetlar three, to take a 69-68 lead with 8:07 to play. With less than five minutes remaining, Oglesby sank her second three-pointer of the season to give the Golden Eagles a 77-75 advantage.
Baldwin tied the game at 93 with seven seconds to go, but SDSU reasserted control, and ultimately secured the 95-93 win on a last-second shot by Madison Mathiowetz. The result marked the closest game of the season for the Jackrabbits, who are ranked first in Mid-Major Women's Basketball.
The Leaders
Oral Roberts: Senior
Jalei Oglesby led the Golden Eagles with 19 points, while
Kayten Donley pulled down six rebounds.
Anna Trusty hit a game-best four three-pointers, doubling South Dakota State's team total.
South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits were led by Brooklyn Meyer's program-record 44 points. The senior forward shot 15-of-22 from the field and 14-of-17 from the free throw line. Hadley Thul led the team in rebounding with seven boards.
Inside the Box Score
· Every Oral Roberts starter scored in double figures.
· Neither team led by more than five points.
· The Golden Eagles shot 55 percent from three-point range (11-of-20).
· Oral Roberts fell on a last-second shot by Madison Mathiowetz.
· ORU held South Dakota State to 18 percent from beyond the arc on 11 attempts.
· The Golden Eagles recorded seven blocks as a team.
·
Jalei Oglesby led ORU with 19 points.
·
Kayten Donley grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles hit the road to take on Kansas City Saturday at 2 p.m.
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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