ORU Notebook - Tulsa World (3-9-2007)

[ORUTerry]

ORU Notebook

by Mike Brown World Sports Writer

3/9/2007

Fill the Coffers: The Oral Roberts men's basketball team made the school $35,000 richer by winning the Mid-Continent Conference tournament.

That's how much the Mid-Con sets aside for its tournament winner, above and beyond each school's one-eighth split of the league's annual NCAA disbursement.

ORU's cut from the conference would grow by another $35,000 if the Golden Eagles advance to the Sweet Sixteen, and by an additional $50,000 if they reach the Final Four.

Even one ORU tournament win would benefit the conference by about $1 million in NCAA payouts over a six-year period.

Eagles gather: ORU is again inviting the public to share the fun with the men's team Sunday as it learns its destination in the NCAA Tournament.

A Selection Show watch party tips off at 4 p.m. in the Mabee Center practice gym. CBS will unveil the brackets during its annual Selection Show at 5 p.m.

Fans are asked to enter through the southeast door at the Mabee Center. ORU merchandise will be on sale and first-round ticket information will be available

Big turnout: Despite disappointing pretournament ticket sales, overall attendance for this year's Mid-Con championships (21,315) was only slightly less than last year.

Attendance for men's games fell for the second straight year, but attendance for the women's games -- bolstered by ORU's presence in the semifinals and final -- was the highest in the three years they have been played in Tulsa, said Mike Dodson, Tulsa Sports Commission executive director.

The men drew 14,726 for four sessions -- compared to 15,499 in 2006 and an 11-year high of 17,547 in 2005. The women's total of 6,589 included three-year highs in the semifinals (1,917) and final (2,010).