The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 105 – Ozark Christian 49
Record: ORU (1-1) – OCC (2-1)
Location: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts men's basketball team dominated Ozark Christian 105-49 in their 2024-25 home opener on Friday, November 8.
 
Six different players reached double-digits tonight as the Golden Eagles put on a show in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 people inside the Mabee Center. Seniors Jalen Miller and Sam Alajiki fueled the Golden Eagles on both sides of the ball tonight providing defensive intensity and an offensive spark. ORU's defense held its opponent to just 21 second half points and 49 points on the night.
 
Box Score Highlights
Oral Roberts Individuals: Sam Alajiki 16 points, 5-10 FG, 3-5 3FG, 8 rebounds, 3 steals; Jalen Miller 13 points, 4-7 FG, 6 assists, 2 steals; Darius Robinson Jr. 5-6 FG, 3-3 3FG, 3 steals, 2 rebounds; Josh Jones 12 points, 5-6 FG, 2-3 3FG, 3 rebounds; Pablo Navarro 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, Issac McBride 10 points, 3-6 FG, 3 assists.
 
Ozark Christian Individuals: Micah Colburn 12 points, 5-9 FG.
 
Key Team Stats
ORU shot 60.3 percent (38-63) from the floor and 53.6 percent (15-28) from deep. The Golden Eagles won the rebounding battle 42-29 and scored 46 points in the paint. ORU forced 19 OCC turnovers and scored 32 points from those turnovers. The Golden Eagle bench contributed 47 points tonight.
 
Turning Point
Ozark Christian started the game hot and hung with the Golden Eagles for the majority of the first half. With 6:42 left in the half, Jalen Miller sparked an 18-0 ORU run with a free throw and a thunderous fast-break dunk a few minutes later. During the run, Sam Alajiki and Carlos Rosario hit back-to-back three as the Golden Eagles extended their lead. With 1:12 remaining, freshman Luke Gray made his presence felt with a two-hand dunk for his first collegiate bucket. ORU used this momentum to take a 25-point lead into the break and never looked back.
 
Key Stats & Notes

• Six Golden Eagles reached double digits tonight.
• ORU reached 100 points in the game and moved to 115-8 all-time when scoring 100.
• Senior Jalen Miller played a team-high 27 minutes and scored a career-high 13 points.
• Josh Jones also scored a career-high 12 points in tonight's contest.
• Sam Alajiki scored a season-high 16 points on 50 percent shooting in just 18 minutes of action.
• Freshmen Luke Gray and JoJo Moore score their first collegiate points.
• Eleven different Golden Eagles scored tonight.
• ORU shot over 60 percent in a game for the first time since 2020.
• ORU is 3-0 all-time against the Ambassadors and has scored 100 points in all three games.
• McBride has now scored 10+ points in four straight games going back to the 2023-24 season.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles will travel across town and face 918 rival Tulsa on Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. in a battle for the Mayor's Cup.
 
For the latest information on ORU men's basketball, follow @ORUMBB on X, Instagram, and Facebook 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.