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Triple the Madness: Eagles to face No. 2 Purdue - Tulsa World (3-13-2007)


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Triple the Madness: Eagles to face No. 2 Purdue

Tulsa World Link

By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer

3/13/2007

Oral Roberts' first NCAA Tournament experience came against Purdue on the Boilermakers' home court in 1998-99.

Eight years later, the Golden Eagles have come full circle as they will face the Boilermakers in first-round action at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday in Minneapolis, Minn.

ORU (22-10) received an automatic bid after winning the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament last week.

"We consider ourselves a cold-weather conference," Oral Roberts coach Jerry Finkbeiner joked with players, fans and school personnel during the team's watch party at the Mabee Center practice gym. "We're going back up North where we belong."

Seriously, Finkbeiner is just glad the Golden Eagles will meet Purdue on a neutral court.

"Our very first trip to the NCAAs we played Purdue at Purdue," the ORU coach said. "There were 8,000 fans there and most of them were Purdue fans. At least, we get them on a neutral court this time.

"We have nothing to lose. But we're not just playing for fun. We're going in to win. At the same time, as a low seed, we don't have pressure on us. We'll use that to our advantage, too."

ORU senior Elisha Turek, the team's leading scorer and rebounder at 17.4 and 10.7, grew up in the heart of Big Ten country in Iowa.

"I saw a lot of Big Ten games," she said. "It's still a Midwest style of basketball, so I'm excited. It's different than what we thought. We really thought we would be playing Oklahoma. I don't know much about Purdue. But we're psyched up."

"Where are we going?" senior Katie Langford, a native of Australia, asked. "Minnesota? Where's that? It's cold there, isn't it?

ORU seniors Alycia Seay, Sarah Davidson, Jamie Fithian, Turek and Langford are making their second trip to the Big Dance.

"Of our six seniors, five have been to an NCAA Tournament," Finkbeiner said.

"So, for a mid-major, experience is not our weakness. I think we have some calmness about it and look forward to the challenge.

"We go in knowing the top three seeds are quicker and deeper than we are but that doesn't mean they shoot the ball any better or pass any better. We'll look to use our strengths and experience is one of those."

Purdue (28-5) earned the automatic bid after winning the Big Ten Conference Tournament.

The Boilermakers defeated NCAA-bound opponents Michigan State and Ohio State to win and earn their 14th consecutive trip.

The Boilermakers won the national championship in 1999.

Guard Katie Gearlds leads Purdue with an 18.5 scoring average.

She has 74 3-pointers to her credit already this season. Forwards Lindsey Wisdom-Hylton and Erin Lawless also average double figures with 14.4 and 10.6, respectively.

"Big Ten basketball is just like the men's game," Finkbeiner said. "They're big and they're physical in the paint. It should be an interesting matchup. We can go head-to-head at one or two positions but the other three, we will have to finesse and look to the 3-point shot. Purdue is an unknown to us and that is a challenge in and of itself for our staff."

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Lynn Jacobsen 581-8461

lynn.jacobsen@tulsaworld.com

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