Everything was almost right - Tulsa World (12-29-05)

[ORUTerry]

Everything was almost right

By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer

12/29/2005

ORU outrebounded OU, shot 50 percent from field in loss.

NORMAN -- Oral Roberts University basketball coach Scott Sutton could not have asked for a better scenario Wednesday night.

His Golden Eagles team battled all night against 14th-ranked Oklahoma. With a 35-33 advantage, ORU became the first team in nine games this season to out rebound the Sooners. The Golden Eagles shot over 50 percent from the field for just the third time in 11 games by hitting 28-of-51 shots (54.9 percent).

Junior forward Caleb Green more than held his own against OU's talented frontline tandem of Kevin Bookout and Taj Gray. Green led the Golden Eagles with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

So why did ORU fall short 81-73 in its upset bid of the nationally ranked Sooners? Small intangible things, such as second-chance scoring opportunities and offensive possessions without a shot, are items that might get overlooked by casual observers.

But they are not casual items in the eyes of Sutton.

"When you get to crunch time, those are things that win you games or lose you games," Sutton said. "Tonight, it cost us the game."

Thanks to hot second-half shooting (15-of-25 from the floor), ORU held a 67-62 lead after

two free throws from Green with 5:37 left. ORU, though, broke down on its remaining 11 offensive possessions. The Eagles committed four turnovers, made 3-of-5 free throws and hit just 1-of-5 shots.

While OU's Terrell Everett heated up with 18 second-half points and Bookout tallied a game-high 24, Sutton pointed out two key offensive rebounds Nate Carter garnered in the final 1:17.

With the score 73-70, Carter snuck in front of Ken Tutt to grab Gray's airball and was fouled by Tutt. Carter hit two free throws. On OU's next possession, no ORU player blocked out the 6-foot-6 Carter after Bookout missed a 12-foot jumper. Carter put in the miss and was fouled with 44.1 seconds left. Carter's ensuing free throw increased OU's lead to 78-73.

"That killed us," Sutton said.

ORU finished with 18 turnovers. Green and center Mickey Michalec combined for 13 of those turnovers. OU had 23 points off ORU miscues.

"They did a great job of always keeping a hand in the face of me, Mickey and Larry Owens whenever we had the ball in the post," Green said. "It was some bad decisions on my part. But you have to give them credit because it was great pressure on their part that forced us into those turnovers."