A 16-5 run stretching more than five minutes in the second half was all the breathing room the Oral Roberts University men’s basketball team needed as the Golden Eagles topped crosstown rival Tulsa 77-68 in the PSO Mayor’s Cup game at the Mabee Center, Nov. 15.
In front of a homecoming crowd of 6,534, ORU led for more than 33 minutes of the game and pulled away thanks to 14-second half points from sophomore Bobby Word, who scored eight straight as part of a 12-4 ORU run. ORU also got a game-high 26 points from Obi Emegano and 18 points, 11 rebounds from Korey Billbury.
The duo of Emegano and Billbury combined to shoot 35 free throws, with Emegano connecting on 14 of his 16 attempts. Adrion Webber also caught fire and added 10 points.
Tulsa had four double-digit scorers, led by D’Andre Wright’s 17 points. James Woodard added 16, Rashad Smith had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Marquel Curtis chipped in 12 points.
About a week later, the ORU women’s basketball team followed suit and rallied to claim their PSO Mayor’s Cup with a 73-71 win over Tulsa.
The Golden Eagles saw an early second half lead slip away as Tulsa led by as many as 11 points in the second half. However, ORU picked up the defensive pressure, and Dorottya Balla found open space on the wing to knock down a three-pointer with two minutes, 13 seconds left in the game, giving the Golden Eagles a lead after trailing for more than eight minutes.
Bernadette Balla led ORU with 19 points while Vicky McIntyre nearly missed a triple-double, finishing with 15 rebounds, eight points and nine blocks.
