Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 60 - Creighton 72
Record: ORU (3-5) – CU (6-2)
Location: Omaha, Neb. (CHI Health Center Omaha)
OMAHA, Neb. – Emmanuel Nzekwesi returned to the lineup and posted a double-double performance in the Oral Roberts men's basketball team's 72-60 loss at Creighton Tuesday night from CHI Health Center Omaha.
Nzekwesi missed the previous three games with an injury and quickly established himself hitting a 3-pointer less than a minute into entering the game off the bench. He went on to record a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double.
After winning the opening tip, Elijah Lufile gave the Golden Eagles a quick, 2-0 edge following an offensive rebound. It was Lufile again that broke a deadlock giving ORU a 10-8 lead before the Bluejays used a 13-3 run to take control of the nationally-televised affair. Creighton connected on five of its first seven shots from behind the arc turning a one-point game, 14-13, into a 15-point advantage.
Nzekwesi converted an offensive rebound and ORU cut the margin down to 11, but the Bluejays closed the opening half scoring the final four points for a 15-point cushion, 46-31.
The Bluejays were unable to keep the hot shooting in the second half hitting just one of their first 10 shot attempts, while the Golden Eagles knocked down 3-of-6 getting consecutive scores from Nzekwesi making it a 47-35 deficit.
An extended scoring drought by ORU allowed the home side to stretch its lead on a 9-0 push mid-way through the second half and eventually moved in front by 22 points before closing out the victory, 72-60, despite a 12-2 run to the finish as the Golden Eagles scored the game's final eight points.
Turning Point
ORU held a two-point lead through the game's first four minutes as three different players combined to connect on five of its first six shots. The Bluejays responded by scoring the next six points from 3-point range and limited the Golden Eagles to three points over the next five and a half minutes to take control leading 21-13.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Nzekwesi led the Golden Eagles in points and rebounds finishing with a season-high 21 points and completed the 23rd double-double of his career totaling 10 rebounds. He shot 67 percent from the floor (8-of-12) in 24 minutes on the court.
Creighton: Christian Bishop paced four Bluejay players in double-digit scoring tallying a career-high 17 points on a 6-of-12 shooting effort and added eight rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.
Inside the Box Score
- Lufile chipped in eight points and eight rebounds, seven of which came offensively, in support for the Golden Eagles.
- Burns closed the night reaching double-figure points for his third-straight outing and fifth time this season scoring 10.
- The Bluejays converted 8-of-17 3-point bids in the first half and finished the contest hitting 10 compared to just four from the Golden Eagles shooting only 24 percent from long range.
News and Notes
- With his eighth rebound of the night coming at the 16:56 mark of the second half, Nzekwesi tied Howard Suggs (1988-90) for 10th place on ORU's all-time rebounds list at 681.
- The ORU bench out-scored Creighton by a 30-13 margin and the visitors held a 43-38 edge in total rebounds.
- The Golden Eagles fell to 0-5 on the road this season, but remain a perfect 3-0 in home games.
Up Next
ORU returns home to the Mabee Center for its next two contests starting with a Sunday matinee against Haskell Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
For the latest information on ORU men's basketball, follow @ORUMBB on Twitter or Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics Front Row App at ORUAthletics.com/frontrow or the ORU Golden Eagles Live App in iTunes or the Google Play Store. For tickets, visit mabeecenter.com or call 495-7ORU (7678).
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