ORUTerry Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 ORU facing a tough road test at Utah State By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer 12/20/2005 The Oral Roberts basketball team isn't going to the best place to find a road win. Utah State is 110-9 at home in Stew Morrill's seven-plus years as head coach. During the same span, the Aggies have won or shared three Big Sky Conference titles and gone to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Golden Eagles (5-4) know plenty about the Aggies (4-3). Utah State pulled out a 72-67 overtime win in Tulsa to open the season. "They're a good basketball team, really good at home," said ORU coach Scott Sutton. "They have two great players (senior forward Nate Harris and sophomore guard Jaycee Carroll) and both hurt us the first time we played them." Harris scored 23 and Carroll added 20 in the Aggies' win in Tulsa. The 6-foot-7 Harris helped get ORU's Caleb Green and Larry Owens in foul trouble and the Eagles were forced to play the final minutes of regulation and overtime without their top rebounders. Led by Ken Tutt's 23 points, ORU erased a 13-point second-half deficit to lead in the closing minutes. But Carroll scored the tying basket with 45 seconds left in regulation and hit key shots in overtime. The Aggies led the nation in shooting percentage (54. until hitting only 35.7 percent in Saturday's 69-59 loss at Hawaii, their Western Athletic Conference debut. Utah State fell to sixth nationally at 51.9 percent, still well above ORU's 44.0 percent. The Eagles have struggled most of the season, getting outshot in six of nine games. ORU's injury-depleted lineup lost another man Monday when Sutton suspended freshman forward Marchello Vealy for one game. But Sutton said starting point guard Jonathan Bluitt and shooting guard Chris Riouse will travel to Utah State and could play. Both missed the previous two games. What makes it so tough to play in the Aggies' home of Logan, Utah? Is it the elevation of 4,775 feet, situated in the Wasatch Mountains? Or the partisan crowds that watch the Aggies play at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum? "It's a very difficult place to play. They have tremendous fan support," Sutton said. "They normally have a great student section, but with it being Christmas break, I don't know how it will effect their crowd, but I'm sure they'll still have a good crowd." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 ORU's injury-depleted lineup lost another man Monday when Sutton suspended freshman forward Marchello Vealy for one game. But Sutton said starting point guard Jonathan Bluitt and shooting guard Chris Riouse will travel to Utah State and could play. Both missed the previous two games. So much for the game notes, huh?? I stand corrected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted December 20, 2005 Author Share Posted December 20, 2005 Let's hope they don't play unless they are fully healed. This game does not matter as much as conference games. We can't afford to have them re-injured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUIsbig Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 110-9??? I don't like our chances. I say rest JB & CR and take our lumps. Let Moses get 30 minutes to make last weeks decision a little less tragic. Let Tutt shoot 30 times and hope he finds his touch again and let Caleb get more practice from 3 pt land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawaee1 Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 If we go down can we at least keep the game at a respectable point difference. Tired of these latest blowouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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