Late Run Pushes Akron Past ORU

The Oral Roberts University men's basketball team was down just two points with 6:55 to go in the game, but an 8-2 run by Akron proved too much to overcome and ORU fell 74-64 on Monday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.

ORU (5-6) trailed most of the game, but was within striking distance with five minutes to play but had five of the team's season high 20 turnovers in the final minutes, allowing Akron (4-2) to take the victory.

The Golden Eagles were led by Shawn Glover's 21 points, while Korey Billbury added 14 points and a team high seven rebounds. Jorden Kaufman added 12 points and, like Glover, had six rebounds.

ORU battled foul trouble all night, finishing the game with three disqualifications and two others with four fouls. There were 52 total fouls called in the game and 60 free throws, although neither team took advantage from the free throw line. ORU hit 17 of 28 attempts (60.7 percent), while Akron hit 18 of 32 attempts (56.3 percent).

Akron was led by Quincy Diggs' 19 points, while Demetrius Treadwell had 18 points and 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Nick Harney added 11 points to pace the Zips.

A put-back by Kaufman gave ORU an early 7-5 lead, but Akron hit a pair of long-range 3-pointers to retake the lead and they would not relinquish it in the first half.

Down 25-17, ORU put together a 6-0 run to close the gap, but Akron ended the spurt with another long 3-pointer to hold onto the lead.

ORU cut it to three again (37-34) on a tip in by Kaufman with just over a minute left in the first half, and a Treadwell free throw with 31 seconds left was the only other point in the half as the Zips took a 38-34 lead into the break.

The Golden Eagles were down seven in the second half and clawed all the way back, using a 3-point play by Jabbar Singleton and a dunk by Glover to take a 51-50 lead, the first for ORU since early on in the game.

ORU tied the game at 52-52, but after Glover picked up his fourth foul, Reggie McAdams hit two more 3-pointers to break the game back open and make it 58-52.

Again, ORU fought back and made it a two-point game after a Glover dunk, but each time the Zips seemed to find the answer.

Down just six in the final minutes, ORU was forced to foul and was unable to convert on the offensive end, allowing Akron to run away and grab as much as a 12 point lead late,

ORU will return home on Saturday as the Golden Eagles host Dallas Baptist at 1 p.m. inside the Mabee Center.