Shorthanded Jags still tough - Tulsa World (1-27-2007)

[ORUTerry]

Shorthanded Jags still tough

Tulsa World Link

by MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

1/27/2007

ORU hopes to tame IUPUI with improved play from the reserves.

The Oral Roberts basketball team is on a roll, and head coach Scott Sutton said the Golden Eagles need to keep it going when Indiana-Purdue visits at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

The Eagles (14-7, 6-0) took sole possession of first place in the Mid-Continent Conference with Thursday's 73-63 win over Oakland (Mich.).

"I told our guys, as big a win as this was, it won't mean a thing if we don't take care of business Saturday night," Sutton said.

IUPUI has been depleted by injuries, but at least the Jaguars pulled out a 70-68 win at Centenary on Thursday night. Austin Montgomery scored with a teammate's missed shot with 1.6 seconds left.

ORU won at Centenary 89-66 last Saturday.

"We did what we had to do, which was come in here (to Shreveport, La.) and win and stay in the race," said IUPUI coach Ron Hunter.

But the Jaguars (9-10, 3-3) trail ORU by three games, a far cry from the team that tied the Eagles for last year's title and were expected to contend again.

All-conference junior George Hill broke his foot and played only five games before Hunter decided to sit him for the rest of the season and apply for a hardship waiver.

"George wanted to play, but having him at 100 percent for the next two years is better for the team than having him at 70 percent this year," Hunter said.

Three others have been hurt, leaving the Jaguars with seven healthy bodies at times, although sophomore guard Gary Patterson returned after missing two games to score nine points at Centenary.

Earlier this week, Hunter and assistant Matt Crenshaw suited up in practice so the Jags would have enough men to scrimmage five-on-five.

"With me and Matt in the backcourt, we killed the first team," Hunter said with a chuckle.

While IUPUI's numbers are depleted, ORU's seem to be rising with improved play off the bench.

Marchello Vealy, Moses Ehambe and Kelvin Sango scored a combined 30 points against Oakland, the most ORU has received from its reserves in a Division I game this season.

The Eagles are averaging nearly 18 bench points per game in conference play after struggling to find a scoring complement for seniors Caleb Green and Ken Tutt earlier in the year.

"It took everybody a while to get used to playing with each other, but now we feel we can win a game even when me or Ken has an off night," Green said.

IUPUI's 80-75 win last Feb. 11 was the last time ORU lost to a Mid-Con opponent.

Mike Brown 581-8390

mike.brown@tulsaworld.com