ORU Falls 47-38 To North Carolina A&T In Southern Miss Thanksgiving Tournament

ORU women's basketball took on North Carolina A&T Friday night in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

ORU started out hot gaining a 5-0 lead two minutes into the game. At the 16:57 mark the Aggies got on the board, now trailing the Golden Eagles by three. North Carolina A&T kept chipping away ORU's lead, eventually taking it with 12:27 left of the half. This was the first time that Oral Roberts trailed, (9-7). ORU quickly tied the game up, before the Aggies went on an 11-0 run.

With just under ten minutes ORU scored their first basket in a three minute time span, cutting the Aggies lead to nine. Golden Eagles' Vicky McIntyre got on the board with 90 seconds to go. She only had two points, normally averaging 11 points and a double-double per game. ORU trailed 28-19 by the end of the first.

At the half Jordan Doyle and Dorottya Balla led Oral Roberts in scoring with four points apiece. McIntyre contributed four rebounds to the mix. ORU was 36 percent from the field, 1-4 from the three point-line, and 4-4 from the free throw line. North Carolina A&T was 37 percent from the field, 2-4 from the three-point line, and 4-5 from the free throw line. The Aggies scored 14 points off of ORU turnovers, while ORU only put up five points off the Aggies' turnovers. North Carolina A&T also led 12-6 in points in the paint.

The Aggies opened up the second half extending their lead 37-19 within the opening minutes. ORU couldn't really find their offense until the last seven minutes. With four minutes in the half ORU started edging away the Aggies' lead. ORU's Jayden Oliver hit a three, cutting North Carolina A&T's lead to nine. Still trailing in the last 31 seconds, ORU began intentionally fouling to stall time. By the end of the game they had fought back to cut the Aggies lead substantially, only falling 47-38 at the buzzer. ORU is now 2-4 on the season. 

WHAT WENT WRONG:

They turned over the ball more than 30 times, for a season-high.

They struggled on offense. This was the first time the Golden Eagles didn't score over 39 points in season play since their 2013, 33-91, loss to Arkansas.

WHAT WENT RIGHT:

They out-rebounded the Aggies 41-30.