Green leads scorers in scrimmage - TW (11-3-2005)

[ORUTerry]

Green leads scorers in scrimmage

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

11/3/2005

If Scott Sutton's plan was to keep Caleb Green from dominating Wednesday's intrasquad basketball scrimmage, the Oral Roberts University head coach succeeded too well.

Green scored a game-high 25 points, but had to work for everything he got while constantly being harassed by the teammates most capable of guarding him in the low post.

Ken Tutt scored 24 points and the long-armed trio of Marchello Vealy, Yemi Ogunoye and Larry Owens combined for 39 more as the White squad pulled away to a 79-64 win in the Navy-White game before about 500 spectators at the Mabee Center.

The 6-foot-9 Ogunoye and 6-foot-7 Vealy and Owens were instrumental in holding Green to 11-of-23 shooting. It seemed at least two of them were in his face on every trip down the floor.

Vealy, a freshman, also played like a veteran on offense, downing 7-of-10 shots for 17 points, and grabbing seven rebounds. Ogunoye, a fourth-year sophomore coming back from a missed year with back surgery, had 13 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Owens, who ranked among the conference leaders in six statistical categories last year, had nine points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and three steals.

"It was a fun night," Sutton said.

"I thought it was important to get these guys in front of some people in a game-like atmosphere. So we'll learn from it and hopefully be better Saturday, with everyone on the same team."

ORU opens its exhibition season hosting Central Oklahoma at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

Sutton insisted he didn't load up the White team with players good at defending Green. Assistants Tom Hankins (Navy) and Conley Phipps (White) drafted their respective teams.

"I think it was the GM's fault. You'll have to blame him," Sutton said with a chuckle.

Clearly, Phipps did the better drafting. He also had senior point guard Jonathan Bluitt, who set the tempo by spreading most of his five assists in the early going. Tutt made his first two 3-pointers and the White team raced to a 16-9 lead after Owens' steal and tomahawk dunk with 13:40 left. The Navy never recovered.

Tutt, Vealy and Ogunoye hit 3-pointers in a 15-0 run that made it 42-19 just before halftime. The White led by as many as 25 points in the second half.

"Yemi played the best I've ever seen him play," said Green, who also had 14 rebounds for a characteristic double-double. "The Blue team played great on defense. Ken and J.B. did what they do and I think having Yemi and Marchello gave them the advantage over us tonight."

Bluitt had a kind word for his losing teammate.

"Yeah, they did a great job of guarding Caleb, and still you have to pray he doesn't get a double-double, which shows you what kind of player Caleb is," he said.

Eric Fowlkes, another medical redshirt last season, chipped in 13 points and six assists for the Navy squad.