District Attorney's Office Has ORU Sex Assault Case

Saturday, February 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Prosecutors hope to review in the next few days a sexual assault case involving two suspended Oral Roberts University basketball players, an assistant district attorney said.

Assistant District Attorney Matt Cyran said prosecutors will look at the evidence and decide whether Leon Irving, 23, or Derrick Taylor, 22, should be charged in the case. Detective Don Holloway said police had interviewed all parties involved in the case and that the district attorney's office will determine what step -- if any -- needs to be taken.

Prosecutors can file charges, request warrants or ask for more police investigation, Holloway said.

Two 18-year-old female students at Oral Roberts accuse Irving and Taylor of assaulting them on the night of Feb. 17 or early morning of Feb. 18 at the apartment of one of the players. Following the accusations, Irving and Taylor were suspended from the ORU basketball team for breaking school policies. Both players acknowledge breaking the school's strict honor code-- which bans swearing, alcohol, drugs and "illicit sexual acts" --but both deny the sexual assault allegations.

Meanwhile, Oral Roberts Athletic Director Mike Carter said the players' suspension will stay in place. Both Irving and Taylor were starters for the Golden Eagles and said they understood why they were suspended.

"The suspension is still in place. It was made indefinitely," Carter said. "We're still not in the position to make any change in that. There have not been any developments that would change our position."