Box Score | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 65 – Oklahoma 79
Record: ORU (3-4) – OU (4-1)
Location: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
 
NORMAN, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team out-scored Oklahoma in the second half, but could not overcome an early deficit falling on the road, 79-65, Wednesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.
 
ORU shot just 13 percent from 3-point range in the opening half (2-of-16) to fall behind before turning things around in the final frame converting 44 percent of its tries from behind the arc (7-of-16).
 
The Golden Eagles found themselves in a 7-0 hole to start the game until Max Abmas scored to get on the board. The sophomore posted the first seven points for ORU, including a triple from well behind the arc to close the gap to 12-7. After the Sooners stretched the advantage into double-digits, 19-9, Carlos Jürgens and Kevin Obanor connected on four-straight free throws to cut the lead down to six, 19-13, and RJ Glasper hit a 3-pointer moments later making it a five-point game.
 
OU took control late in the frame and kept the Golden Eagles off the board for a three-minute stretch, while tallying seven-consecutive points for a 30-18 edge. The Sooners pushed that lead out-scoring the visitors by a 17-4 margin over the final seven minutes as ORU went into the halftime break trailing, 40-22, shooting just 21 percent from the floor.
 
Kareem Thompson drained an open 3-pointer from the corner in the opening minutes of the second half after a pair of Obanor free throws giving the visitors a spark. Obanor came through again inside adding a put-back layup getting the Golden Eagles within 14 behind a 7-1 spurt. Every time it looked like ORU was building momentum, the Sooners had an answer to keep the lead in double figures.
 
Obanor made a jumper in the last minute of play and Abmas beat the final buzzer hitting from deep to make the final score line, 79-65, snapping a two-game win streak for ORU.
 
Turning Point
Despite finding open looks from the outside, the Golden Eagles were never able to recover from a slow start as the Sooners scored the first seven points of the night and did not relinquish the lead.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas led all scorers tallying 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting as the Rockwall, Texas, native converted 4-of-7 attempts from 3-point range.

Oklahoma: Austin Reaves recorded an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Sooners pacing three players with at least 14 points.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas put together the 12th game of his ORU career with 20 or more points and now has led the team in scoring four times in six outings.
 
- Thompson gave ORU 11 points, all of which came in the second half, as he found his rhythm in the far corner hitting three 3-pointers from that spot. It was the second-straight outing where the sophomore scored in double digits as he shot 3-of-5 from distance and added three rebounds.
 
- Obanor battled inside to register 16 points, thanks to a 6-of-6 effort at the free-throw line, and had a team-best eight rebounds. The Houston, Texas, native has reached double-figure points in all six games this season.
 
- After 21 rebounds Tuesday night, D'Mauria Jones grabbed four boards in his first three minutes on the court and finished with six, three of which came on the offensive glass, in 15 minutes of playing time.
 
News and Notes
- The Golden Eagles were perfect from the free-throw line Wednesday making all 12 attempts coming from four different players. It was the sixth time this season the team has made double-digit free throws in a game.
 
- ORU finished with a season low six assists coming on 22 made field goals. Abmas and Francis Lacis led the team as each recorded two.
 
- ORU dropped to 0-4 on the road this season, but remains unbeaten on its home floor at 3-0.
 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles play their final game of the 2020 calendar year away from home facing the Razorbacks from Arkansas Sunday Dec. 20 in a 1 p.m. tip on the SEC Network.
 
For the latest information on ORU Men's Basketball, follow the Golden Eagles on Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.