Box Score | Season Stats | 2021-22 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 67 - Central Arkansas 70
Record: ORU (2-2) - UCA (1-3)
Location: Conway, Ark. (Farris Center)
 
CONWAY, Ark. – It was a tale of two halves as the Oral Roberts men's basketball team overcame a 17-point halftime deficit and out-scored Central Arkansas 46-32 in the second half of a 70-67 loss on the road Saturday afternoon at the Farris Center.

Trailing by as many as 22 points in the second half, the Golden Eagles did not quit and battled to the last buzzer giving themselves a chance to pull off the comeback. Issac McBride, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, just 33 miles from UCA's campus, scored 21 points during the final frame providing a late spark as ORU used a 7-0 push with three minutes to play making it a one-possession game. The Bears were able to make their free throws to hold off the visitor's rally.

Carlos Jürgens drove to the rim and scored on the second possession of the game as the Golden Eagles tied the score, 2-2. The offense continued to press building an 11-4 advantage capped on a triple by Trey Phipps and ORU was able to limit the Bears to four points in the first six minutes.
 
UCA caught fire, especially from deep, as it broke the game open during a nearly 10-minute stretch to turn a 17-13 lead for ORU into a 36-21 advantage for the home side. The Golden Eagles faced a 17-point deficit as it ran into the locker room at halftime scoring just four points in the final 9:41 of the frame.

The first five minutes of the second half belonged to the Bears as they stretched the margin to 22 points, 46-24. Kareem Thompson collected an offensive rebound on the next possession and scored at the basket that kick-started a 12-0 burst from ORU closing the gap to 10. The Golden Eagles did not stop there as McBride made a pair of free throws extending the run to 19-2 spanning more than six minutes.
 
After ORU cut the deficit to five, McBride continued to take over the action as the sophomore drained a 3-pointer making it a one-possession game, 50-48. UCA was able to regain a double-digit cushion, 60-50, before Max Abmas made his first triple of the afternoon and the Golden Eagles again pulled within two as the clock read 2:45 remaining. The Bears made seven of their final eight free throws in the last 90 seconds of the game and held off a last-minute comeback bid as ORU fell, 70-67.

Turning Point
The Bears weathered a 26-6 run from the Golden Eagles in the middle of the second half and converted three-straight shot attempts in the paint as they scored eight points in a row to move back in front by 10.

Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: McBride took over in the second half as the sophomore posted 21 of his game-high 25 points in the final 20 minutes hitting 6-of-10 shots.

Central Arkansas: Darious Hall posted a 19-point, 16-rebound double-double to lead the Bears in both categories as they won their first game of the season in their home opener.

Inside the Box Score
- McBride went 7-of-13 from the floor and made 10-of-11 free throws on his way to the 25-point outburst.

- Thompson nearly gave ORU a double-double as the junior finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. He also led the team behind three steals.
 
- Phipps tallied 10 points thanks to 2-of-6 from 3-point range.
 
- Francis Lacis matched Thompson for the team high as both players pulled down eight rebounds, including two on the offensive glass.

News and Notes
- The Golden Eagles recorded a season-high eight blocks coming from four different players. Lacis led the team as he swatted four UCA shots and Nate Clover III added two.

- ORU converted just 21 percent (6-of-28) from 3-point range and failed to make double digits from distance for the first time this year.

- The Golden Eagles turned 15 UCA turnovers into 21 points.

Up Next
ORU begins a three-game home stand, all against teams from the local area, Tuesday night hosting Rogers State at 7 p.m. live on the ORU Sports 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.