Box Score | Season Stats | 2020-21 Schedule
The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 84 - South Dakota 86
Record: ORU (11-10, 8-5 SL) - USD (12-9, 10-3 SL)
Location: Vermillion, S.D. (Sanford Coyote Sports Center)
 
VERMILLION, S.D. – Two free throws in the closing seconds stopped a huge second half rally by the Oral Roberts men's basketball team in an 86-84 shootout loss at South Dakota Saturday afternoon as its game-winner at the buzzer fell off the front iron.
 
In what turned out to be a Wild West duel between the top scorers in The Summit League, Max Abmas scored 36 points, but it was a 37-point effort by USD's A.J. Plitzuweit that proved the difference as he hit free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining in regulation to break an 84-84 deadlock. Both players were on the court for all 40 minutes and never missed a second of the action going shot-for-shot in the second half.
 
After the Coyotes scored the first seven points of the game, ORU started to chip away as Kareem Thompson hit a jumper to get the visitors on the board. Abmas hit a floater near the free-throw line as the Golden Eagles made it an 11-9 deficit before USD built a 21-15 advantage. It was all ORU for the next 4:20 as Abmas scored seven points during an 11-0 run taking a 26-21 lead on the road.
 
Another Abmas long ball put the Golden Eagles in front, 32-28, but 10-consecutive points by the home side erased that margin. USD was able to take a 40-34 lead into the halftime break scoring 12 of the final 14 points covering the last four minutes.
 
The Coyotes stretched their advantage back into double figures, 49-39, in the first five minutes of the second stanza before making it a 13-point game on back-to-back triples with 13:50 to play. It was the sharpshooting efforts of ORU that helped turn the momentum on a 14-2 outburst in a four-minute span. Abmas and Kevin Obanor each connected from distance, while DeShang Weaver added a pair of 3-pointers in the run closing the gap to one, 57-56.
 
The Golden Eagles overcame another eight-point deficit thanks to five-consecutive points by Carlos Jürgens to even the score, 71-71. Two minutes later, Abmas delivered a pull-up three from the mid-court logo giving ORU its first lead since the opening half, 80-79, forcing USD to call a timeout. The advantage switched sides three times in the next 45 seconds until Jürgens drove to the paint and scored for an 84-84 tie with 1:03 to play.
 
After USD missed a shot on its next possession, the visitors had two chances to take the lead, but failed to convert allowing the Coyotes to get to the free-throw line and move ahead, 86-84. The Golden Eagles had a game-winning shot at the buzzer only to see it fall off the rim to suffer the setback.
 
Turning Point
After Jürgens tied the game with 63 seconds remaining, the Golden Eagles got a stop defensively and were able to get two good looks at the basket trying to break the tie. Neither would go and USD capitalized by attacking the basket and drawing contact to earn free throws with two seconds to play.
 
Individual Leaders
Oral Roberts: Abmas matched his career best by hitting seven 3-pointers on just nine attempts and posted a 36-point performance on the road. He was nearly flawless in the second half as the redshirt sophomore made 7-of-8 shots, including all four from distance, and made all three free throws.

South Dakota: Plitzuweit equaled his season high with 37 points and was 8-of-11 from distance, while Xavier Fuller added 22 points.

Inside the Box Score
- Abmas reached 20 or more points for the seventh-straight game as the Rockwall, Texas, native shot 72 percent on 13-of-18 from the floor.
 
- Jürgens recorded a great all-around effort as the redshirt sophomore finished with 14 points, 12 of which came in the second half, five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block.
 
- Obanor also posted 14 points to go with a game-high eight rebounds.
 
- Weaver provided the offense with a much-needed spark in the second half totaling all eight of his points in the final stanza, including a soaring, two-handed dunk.
 
News and Notes
- It was the third-straight game ORU hit double-digit 3-pointers making 13-of-31 (42 percent).
 
- The Golden Eagles made 9-of-10 free throws and are 81 percent for the season.
 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles and Coyotes close the weekend series Sunday afternoon as first tip is slated for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN3 with live audio available streaming on ORUSN or on local radio at 99.9FM ESPN Radio.
 
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.