ORU Strong Second Half Topples 'Dons in Tulsa

Thursday, January 19

Tulsa, Okla.

8:05 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

9-9,(3-6)

Oral Roberts

17-4,(9-0)

IPFW

Oral Roberts

Photo by: Lucas Carter

ORU Strong Second Half Topples 'Dons in Tulsa

1/19/2012 7:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. - Leading 31-29 at halftime, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles out-scored IPFW by 13 points in the second half, behind 21 second-half tallies from Dominique Morrison, as the Eagles topped the 'Dons 65-54 at the Mabee Center.

The loss evens IPFW's record to 9-9 on the season, and 3-6 in the Summit League, while Oral Roberts improves to 17-4 overall, and a perfect 9-0 record at the halfway point of the conference season.

Frank Gaines scored a team-high 17 points, making 6-of-10 shots from the field, while Trey McCorkle scored 11, and Antwaun Boyd eight. Gaines pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds, with three others; John Peckinpaugh, McCorkle, and Justin Jordan, pulling down five caroms. Jordan dished out a team-leading three assists, with Gaines grabbing a pair of steals.

IPFW jumped ahead early, leading by as many as 10 at 18-8 with 11:29 to play in the first half; however, ORU answered the Mastodons' largest lead with an 11-0 run, capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Morrison and Warren Niles, giving the hosts a one-point, 19-18 lead with 8:15 to play in the first half.

The teams went back and forth for the rest of the half, as a Gaines lay-in with 52 seconds remaining provided the final points of the half, sending the 'Dons into the locker room with a 31-29 lead at intermission.

The Golden Eagles reached the scoreboard first when Morrison beat the shot clock with a 30-foot jumper, but four straight IPFW points, on a dunk by Gaines and a jumper by Boyd, helped the 'Dons re-capture its lead.

Leading by three at 35-32 with 16:22 to play in the game, ORU scored seven straight points, and took a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the contest. The IPFW deficit reached double-figures at 11, and the 'Dons would get no closer than nine the rest of the way in the 65-54 Summit League loss.

IPFW made 20-of-49 shots (40.8 percent) from the field, just 2-of-10 from long range and 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) from the charity stripe. The Golden Eagles made 21-of-48 of their shots (43.8 percent), but converted on 5-of-17 their three-point attempts (29.4 percent), and made 18 free throws on 27 tries (66.7 percent).

In a battle of the top two rebounding teams in the league, IPFW out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 37-to-28, while the Mastodons had a half-dozen more turnovers (18-to-12).

Morrison scored a game-high 27 points, as Michael Craion added 10, as the two were the only double-figure scorers for the hosts.

The Mastodons remain on the road, and travel to Cedar City, Utah for a Summit League battle against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 9:30 p.m EST, and is the second game of a women's / men's doubleheader against the Thunderbirds.

~ Feel the Rumble ~