- 5th in ORU history in career free throw percentage (82.8%)
2019-20 (Senior)
Appeared in all 31 games for ORU and earned the start 16 times, all in consecutive outings from Nov. 23 to Jan. 29 ... Averaged 5.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest reaching season highs of 16 points at Denver (2/20) and eight rebounds against Haskell (12/8) ... Reached double-digit scoring five times ... Led the Golden Eagles shooting 87 percent (27-31) from the free throw line, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort at North Dakota State (2/8) matching a career-best six made free throws ... Ranked third on the team totaling 51 assists and 28 steals ... Shot 35 percent (58-168) from the floor and 28 percent (33-119) from 3-point range ... Finished the season with three blocks.
2018-19 (Junior)
Battled a pair of shoulder injuries at the end of the season but played in 26 games with 24 starts … shot 43 percent (93-216) from the field, 39 percent (56-142) from 3-point range and 78 percent (26-33) from the free throw line … second on the team and sixth in the Summit League with 93 assists, averaging 3.6 assists per game … scored a career high 27 points against Purdue Fort Wayne (2/2) and dished out a season high eight assists at North Dakota State (2/14) … after returning from injury the first time, scored in double-figures in six straight games … had a total of 15 double-digit scoring outputs … led ORU in assists 11 times during the season and had at least five assists in 10 games.
2017-18 (Sophomore)
- 2017-18 Summit League All-Newcomer Team
Played in all 32 games with 31 starts, starting every game except senior night … made at least one 3-pointer in 31 straight games to finish the season, including 20 games with multiple 3-point buckets … averaged 10.2 points, 4.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game … had a team-best 52 assists on the season … scored a season best 21 points at Kansas State (11/29) and matched the scoring effort against Fort Wayne (1/4) … had a season best six rebounds against Missouri State (12/10) … scored 10 or more points in 16 games, tied for the second most double-digit scoring games on the team … had a season best three steals at South Dakota State (1/11) … led ORU in assists in 18 games and had 10 games with at least five assists, including a season best nine helpers at South Dakota (1/17).
Prior to ORU
Averaged 12.8 points and 3.1 assists per game as a freshman at North Platte Community College … shot 53.1 percent from the field and 53.4 percent from 3-point range, ranking him fourth in the country in 3-point percentage … had a 2:1 assists to turnover ratio in his freshman season … scored a season best 22 points, going 7-10 from the field against Laramie County … prior to joining North Platte, was the 2015-16 San Antonio High School Player of the Year and was a 6A First Team All-State selection and the District 25-6A MVP.
Personal
Son of Sandra and Jason Kearns ... majoring in pre-med/biology with hopes of going to medical school after pursuing a professional basketball career.
Head Coach Paul Mills on Kearns
“I enjoy coaching Sam because he values what team’s should value: Unity, making tough plays, and responding the right way to the circumstances that you’re presented. He played a huge role in last season’s strides and he has improved his skill and body during the course of the past year.”
