Oral Roberts Takes Down Missouri-Kansas City

Originally Published: Dec 3, 2009 11:8 PM CDT

Oklahoma Sports Staff

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Michael Craion and Dominique Morrison combined for 36 points and 18 rebounds and led ORU to a 68-57 win over Missouri-Kansas City Thursday in the Summit League opener for both teams.

Craion scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, and Morrison scored 15 points and added eight boards as the Golden Eagles evened their season record at 4-4. The loss dropped the Kangaroos to 3-3.

UMKC jumped out to an 11-2 lead early in the game, but ORU slowly chipped away at the lead and took their first lead with less than three minutes left in the first half. The Golden Eagles went into the locker room at halftime with a 33-31 lead.

ORU controlled the early part of the second half and began to build a sizable lead. Despite going more than seven minutes without a field goal, the Golden Eagles never lost the lead thanks in part to a 7-of-9 effort from the free throw line.

By the time Craion snapped the field goal drought, the Golden Eagles still maintained a 58-50 lead. Morrison then scored five straight points to help ORU begin pulling away.

Both teams shot well. The Golden Eagles made 47.7 percent of their field goals, while UMKC hitting 46 percent of its shots. ORU out-rebounded the Kangaroos 36-24, and went 24-of-32 from the free throw line compared to 8-of-18 for UMKC.

Craion was 7-of-12 from the field and 7-of-11 from the free throw line. Morrison finished 5-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line, adding three assists to his stat line. Warren Niles added 12 points off the bench for ORU.

The Golden Eagles return to the court when they host Southern Utah, 7:05 p.m., Saturday at Mabee Center.