ORU's Green takes fight out of Leathernecks - TW (1-8-06)

[ORUTerry]

ORU's Green takes fight out of Leathernecks

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

1/8/2006

Junior forward's 32-point, 13-rebound effort powers Eagles.

Caleb Green had 19 points and nine rebounds at halftime of Saturday's game, and Oral Roberts University president Richard Roberts was enjoying the show.

"That's more than most guys will have in a game," Roberts said.

The show wasn't over. Green kept going until he had way more than most.

Green's 32 points and 13 rebounds led the Golden Eagles to an 83-66 win over Western Illinois, giving them a 3-0 start in Mid-Continent Conference play. At 8-7 overall, the Eagles visit Valparaiso on Monday night for a clash of conference contenders.

Green fell a point short of matching his career scoring high of 33, which he reached for the third time in Wednesday's win at Southern Utah. It was his eighth career game to score 30 or more, but the first time he has done it in back-to-back games.

"I told (the players) at halftime I don't think there's a player, if any, across the country that's had a better two weeks. He's been unbelievable," said ORU coach Scott Sutton.

Green, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, is averaging 25.1 points and 10.8 rebounds with six double-doubles in the past eight games.

"And (all against) quality opponents on the road except for one," Sutton said. "He has elevated his game. I know there's a lot of great players in the state. JamesOn Curry (at Oklahoma State) and (Oklahoma's) Taj Gray are very good, but I wouldn't trade Caleb Green for anybody in this state."

Western Illinois (5-8, 1-1) tried the novel approach of guarding the Mid-Con's 2005 Player of the Year with one man at a time, and Green scored on a variety of hooks, jump shots and tip-ins.

"They didn't come with the double-team at the start of the game, and I've always been taught to attack and try to be aggressive. They never came with the double-team and I attacked all night," Green said.

When he wasn't attacking the basket, he was attacking the glass. He had eight offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points, including seven in the first half when ORU pushed to a 19-point lead.

"Caleb's a man down low. He's a monster. When he's going good, he cannot be stopped," said senior forward Larry Owens, who had 11 points and nine rebounds.

Green's nine first-half rebounds were more than Western Illinois had as a team (seven), and the Leathernecks are the Mid-Con's No. 3 rebounding team. ORU, the league's No. 1 rebounding team, whipped Western 26-7 on the boards in the first half and 44-25 for the game.

The Eagles received a combined 24 points off the bench from sophomore Moses Ehambe and freshman Marchello Vealy, but lost junior guard Ken Tutt with a right foot injury in the first half. Tutt was on crutches after the game and was expecting to have an X-ray to determine the extend of the injury.

Trainer Glenn Smith said it was "50-50" whether Tutt, an 18.1-ppg career scorer, would make the Valpo trip. If not, it would be the first game he has missed in his ORU career.

Ehambe, in his most significant action since ending a redshirt year six games ago, scored a career-high 13 points, shooting 5-of-9 overall and 3-of-7 from 3-point range.

Vealy almost notched his first collegiate double-double, matching a career-high 11 points to go with nine rebounds. He also had two blocked shots, two steals and an assist, with no turnovers, in 21 minutes.

ORU continued a strange pattern by coming out flat after intermission, and WIU's David Jackson scored 10 of his 14 points, helping the Leathernecks trim a 16-point halftime deficit to 49-42 with 13:31 left.

The Eagles picked up the pace from there. They held the Leathernecks at arm's length until Ehambe's 3-pointer ignited an 11-0 run that made it 70-47 with 6:15 left.

[ORUTerry]

ORU Notebook

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

1/8/2006

High Backing

ORU president Richard Roberts said he approved of coach Scott Sutton's tough December scheduling to prepare the Eagles for Mid-Continent Conference play.

Some questioned it after four straight road losses to 2005 NCAA Tournament teams caused ORU's won-loss record to dip under .500 (5-7). But the Eagles rebounded by winning their first three conference games.

"We've had such a hard time getting anybody good to play us (at the Mabee Center), and Scott said, 'Let's go and play good people, and if we beat them, fine, but it will get us ready for conference play, no matter what.' He did it, and it worked. This team is right where it needs to be," Roberts said.

Rest for the weary:

The schedule slackens after Monday's visit to Valparaiso, which will be the team's fifth game in the past 10 days. The Eagles will play only three times over the next 15 days, and won't go back on the road until visiting Western Illinois on Jan. 24.

Indiana-Purdue visits for homecoming next Saturday, followed by Oakland (Mich.), which upset ORU in last year's Mid-Con Tournament final, Jan. 19.

Saturday's win over Western Illinois was ORU's fourth game in eight days. The stretch started with a Dec. 31 loss at Minnesota, followed by Monday

and Wednesday wins at Chicago State and Southern Utah.

Hot shooter:

Moses Ehambe's three treys matched a career high and gave the 6-foot-6 sophomore from Arlington, Texas, five for the year, matching his freshman total.

Ehambe made 5-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range.

Sutton said he wants to see more of the same, "since I've been watching him shoot like that in practice for a year and a half. We're going to need another outside shooter down the stretch, and if there's one thing Moses can do, he can shoot that ball."

Saturday's game was Ehambe's sixth since Sutton invited him to pull off his redshirt when December injuries eroded ORU's depth.

"I'm starting to get a little more confident," Ehambe said.

Fast breaks:

Sutton said Andrew Meloy participated in a team shoot-around for the first time since injuring his knee last month and could be ready to play in a week. . . . Caleb Green and Larry Owens went into the weekend first and third in Mid-Con rebounding at 9.4 and 7.9 per game, respectively.