The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 84 – North Dakota State 75
Record: ORU (14-5), (5-1) – North Dakota State (10-8), (4-1)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts women's basketball team defeated first place North Dakota State, 84-75, behind 23 points from Ruthie Udoumoh.

Udoumoh's 23 point outing ties her career-high previously set against Kansas City on February 4th, 2023. Udoumoh shot an efficient 9-of-13 from the floor and while grabbing eight rebounds.

Udoumoh's career night led the way as five Golden Eagles reached double-digit scoring this afternoon. Emily Robinson (15), Taleyah Jones (14), Jalei Oglesby (12), and Hannah Cooper (11) all reached double-figures.

The Golden Eagles came to play in the first quarter jumping out to a quick 10-5 lead before a Udoumoh layup forced a Bison timeout at the 4:37 mark. NDSU climbed back in the following minutes and took a 13-12 lead after converting on a layup. Gentry Baldwin quickly reclaimed the lead for ORU hitting a right wing three to put the Golden Eagles up. ORU led 16-14 after the first quarter of action.

Both teams went back-and-forth in scoring in the second quarter. Between the 5:47 and the 4:29 mark, the Bison launched a 7-1 run to take a 29-25 lead, their largest of the game. Robinson and Jones responded for the Golden Eagles each hitting a three on consecutive ORU possessions. The Golden Eagles held onto the lead for the remaining four minutes and went into the break up 40-37.

ORU opened the second half on an 8-2 run behind baskets by Cooper, Jones, and Udoumoh. ORU stretched its lead out to 12 as Oglesby and Udoumoh continued to make plays. The Golden Eagles maintained their lead throughout the third quarter as it hovered between the 9-12 point range over the final three minutes. ORU headed to the fourth quarter up 59-48.

The final 10 minutes of play saw plenty of action as 52 points were scored in the period alone. Elle Evans lit up the floor scoring 14 of her 23 points for the Bison in the fourth. Udoumoh continued to dominate in the paint as the senior notched 11 of her 23 points in the final quarter. ORU held its' double-digit lead for the first five minutes before a 5-0 run by NDSU cut it to six. Udoumoh put a quick end to the Bison effort responding with a bucket and the foul. The Golden Eagles held onto their lead despite Evans' and the Bison effort.

The Leaders
 
Oral Roberts: Udoumoh tied her career-high with 23 points. Weinrich grabbed a career-high and game-high 10 rebounds. Jones dished out a career-high six assists for ORU.
 
North Dakota State: Elle Evans led the way for the Bison scoring 23 points. Three NDSU players grabbed four rebounds and Heaven Hamling recorded a team-high five assists.

Inside the Box Score

• ORU improves to 10-0 on the year inside the Mabee Center.
• Seven of the ten home wins have been by double-digits.
• The Golden Eagles have now defeated the Bison in three of the last four matchups.
• After today's win, ORU sits in second place in the Summit League standings with a 5-1 conference record.
• Four Golden Eagles reached double-digit scoring as Udoumoh led the way with 23. Robinson (15), Jones (14), Oglesby (12), and Cooper (11) rounded out the players in double-digits.
• NDSU's bench outscored the Golden Eagles' bench 33-17.
• The Golden Eagles forced 15 Bison turnovers while registering eight steals.
• Robinson led the Golden Eagles with a +14 plus/minus rating followed by Oglesby's +10.
• ORU outgained NDSU by a wide margin winning the rebounding battle 37-26.
• The Golden Eagles nine game home winning streak is the 26th longest in the nation.
• Cooper led the team in assists for the 15th time this year.
• The Golden Eagles shot efficiently from long range hitting six of their 14 attempts from downtown.

Up Next
 
The Golden Eagles will hit the road as they head up to Nebraska to face Omaha on Thursday, January 25th at 7:00 p.m.
 
For the latest information on ORU women's basketball, follow @ORUWBB on X or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics App in the Google Play or App Store.