Eli The Eagle Versus Jawz The Jaguar

It was the sidebar of the Summit League Championship, or was Oral Roberts/ IUPUI the undercard to Eli the Eagle versus Jawz the Jaguar?

"Eli was trying to back us up. We've got his back," said Summit League Tournament MVP Moses Ehambe.

It wasn't' exactly a mismatch like Mike Tyson versus Buster Douglas, but Eli was reduced to wings while Jawz used paws to pummel the Golden Eagle.

"I think Eli was at a disadvantage," said ORU basketball coach Scott Sutton. "I've had a couple guys tell me you can't see in that thing and move around very well."

While Eli lost the fight between the furry foes, ORU won the battle that really counted. The Golden Eagles are making their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, but they've embraced all the attention Eli's escapades are getting.

"They gave us TV time," Ehambe said. "It's hard to get time like that. I mean it wasn't good because of the fighting, but it was awesome that you saw ORU's mascot on PTI."

"It may be the best thing that's ever happened to Eli," Sutton said. "He's gotten more press than any other mascot this year."

As ORU continues its postseason quest, they'll have to do it without the man behind Eli. Not to worry, there are two back-ups waiting in the wings.

"Eli's our boy. He's there for us through thick and thin. When we were losing and we were winning," Ehambe said. "He's still our boy."

By Kyle Dierking, Video Journalist. Find more of his stories in our Web Exclusives section.