Box Score | Season Stats | 2019-20 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 87 - Western Illinois 70
Record: ORU (10-8, 3-2 SL) – WIU (5-11, 2-4 SL)
Location: Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)
MACOMB, Ill. – Deondre Burns shot 71 percent and scored a game-high 22 points driving the Oral Roberts men's basketball team to an 87-70 road victory over Western Illinois Thursday night at Western Hall.
Burns tallied 14 second-half points as the Golden Eagles pushed the pace of play and scored 21 of the final 30 points over the final eight minutes securing their third-straight Summit League win. Emmanuel Nzekwesi's fastbreak dunk highlighted the run and helped ORU bury the Fighting Leathernecks late.
After Kevin Obanor won the opening tip and Burns converted at the rim, WIU went on a 9-2 run for the early advantage. It was a frantic start as both teams seemingly could not miss before both offenses went cold for an extended stretch. Obanor hit a 3-pointer helping the Golden Eagles to a 7-0 run capped when the redshirt sophomore hammered an alley oop on the break from Burns giving ORU a 20-15 edge.
Elijah Lufile scored inside to maintain the five-point cushion before a drought of nearly six minutes set in as WIU capitalized on an 8-1 stretch to move ahead, 25-23. R.J. Fuqua delivered for ORU knocking down a triple reclaiming the lead at the 6:13 mark and a late push gave the visitors a 41-32 advantage before holding a five-point lead at halftime.
The Leathernecks would not back down hitting back-to-back 3-pointers cutting the gap down to three, 57-54, until Max Abmas converted from distance stretching the ORU lead back to 60-54. WIU cut the deficit to four three more times before the Golden Eagles took complete control of the effort turning a 69-64 margin into a 15-point ballgame as Burns and Abmas drained 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. ORU used another 6-0 run in the final minutes to seal the win, 87-70.
Quote of the Game
"We took care of the ball and finished the game with just six turnovers. We forced a team into 16 turnovers that was tops in the country in not turning it over. More importantly, we were able to play in transition out of that and it led to some easy baskets and 87 points." – Head Coach Paul Mills
Turning Point
After the Leathernecks closed the gap to four, 66-62, with 8:12 to play in regulation, ORU used a 13-2 run during a four-minute stretch to turn momentum in its favor. Obanor started the push making a free throw before Burns and Abmas combined to generate a 10-0 jump moving the Golden Eagles lead to 79-64.
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Burns celebrated his birthday scoring a game-high 22 points as the senior shot 71 percent (10-of-14) from the floor playing 32 total minutes. His 10 made field goals set a new season high, including a 2-of-3 effort from 3-point range. Burns made 6-of-7 shot attempts in the second half alone for 14 points in 14 minutes during the final stanza.
Western Illinois: Zion Young paced three WIU players in double-figure scoring as he put up 18 points hitting on 3-of-5 from behind the arc.
Inside the Box Score
- Burns, the reigning Summit League Player of the Week, scored 22 points, his sixth outing of the season with at least 20 points. The Yazoo City, Mississippi, native led the Golden Eagles with five assists and did not commit a turnover, while adding four rebounds.
- Abmas chipped in 16 points by knocking down 3-of-6 from long range to go with four rebounds. Ten of his total points came in the second frame.
- Nzekwesi gave ORU 15 points, going a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line, and finished with a team-best seven rebounds and two blocks.
- Obanor reached double figures with 10 points, while Fuqua aided the Golden Eagles with eight points, four rebounds and four assists.
News and Notes
- ORU claimed its first win at Western Hall since the 2015-16 season (Jan. 16, 2016) having dropped the previous three meetings in Macomb, Illinois.
- As a team, ORU committed only six turnovers, its second-fewest total of the campaign, while forcing
the Leathernecks into 16 turnovers. WIU entered the game ranked seventh in the nation in fewest team turnovers, but ended with five more than its season average (10.5).
- The Golden Eagles won their first Summit League road contest of the season. It was only the seventh victory by a road team in league play this season as home teams have been excellent at defending home courts.
Up Next
ORU closes the weekend trip heading to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to take on Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday afternoon. The game is slated for a 12 p.m. (CT) tip.
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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