Post by blackandgold on Nov 2, 2010 21:18:33 GMT -5
Dare I say I actually say a pretty good college basketball game during the first week of November? Oral Roberts took on Division II Drury tonight and barely won, 79-76. Drury had the ball on the last possession and could have tied with a three. Freshman Jake Lliteras blocked the first attempt, but Drury still came away with it and got up a three-point attempt from the corner but it missed. ORU avoided the exhibition upset.
This game was very close throughout. Drury actually led at half-time and had an 8 point lead with about 9 minutes to go in the second half. Warren Niles was ORU's best player in my mind and he sort of led a charge to get them back as well as a timely three-pointer from Morrison. With three-minutes left, I thought ORU had finished them but Drury stayed tough and got a couple of buckets. In the last minute, it was 76-74 and the ref called an intentional foul on a Drury player so ORU got two free FTs, went 1/2 and then got two more a few seconds later and missed both, which gave Drury that one last shot.
Couple other things. Bell-Holter did not start and freshman Steven Roundtree actually did and got a lot of the first half minutes. He's a skinny dude (at least in tiny pixels) but tall and I think he's long (once again hard to tell on the tiny internet screen). In keeping with ORU tradition, he's got a funky hairstyle.
McClintock didn't play as far as I could tell. The other freshman, Lliteras, got some decent minutes and hit a big three-pointer in the last two minutes for ORU. He looks tall (listed at 6'5) and speedy, pretty agile. I would not doubt if he has a smooth stroke as well. He got taken at one key point by a Drury "big man" in the paint fairly easily.
If there is one takeaway I have from this, it's that ORU needs to shore up its turnovers and stop committing some pesky fouls. But for Oakland fans, the best thing was ORU had trouble in the paint, especially considering there were several times where Drury got easy buckets right by the basket or offensive rebounds.
It's only an exhibition game, I know, I know. But just some observations to take in.
This game was very close throughout. Drury actually led at half-time and had an 8 point lead with about 9 minutes to go in the second half. Warren Niles was ORU's best player in my mind and he sort of led a charge to get them back as well as a timely three-pointer from Morrison. With three-minutes left, I thought ORU had finished them but Drury stayed tough and got a couple of buckets. In the last minute, it was 76-74 and the ref called an intentional foul on a Drury player so ORU got two free FTs, went 1/2 and then got two more a few seconds later and missed both, which gave Drury that one last shot.
Couple other things. Bell-Holter did not start and freshman Steven Roundtree actually did and got a lot of the first half minutes. He's a skinny dude (at least in tiny pixels) but tall and I think he's long (once again hard to tell on the tiny internet screen). In keeping with ORU tradition, he's got a funky hairstyle.
McClintock didn't play as far as I could tell. The other freshman, Lliteras, got some decent minutes and hit a big three-pointer in the last two minutes for ORU. He looks tall (listed at 6'5) and speedy, pretty agile. I would not doubt if he has a smooth stroke as well. He got taken at one key point by a Drury "big man" in the paint fairly easily.
If there is one takeaway I have from this, it's that ORU needs to shore up its turnovers and stop committing some pesky fouls. But for Oakland fans, the best thing was ORU had trouble in the paint, especially considering there were several times where Drury got easy buckets right by the basket or offensive rebounds.
It's only an exhibition game, I know, I know. But just some observations to take in.