ORU drops first home game to Jags - TW (1-17-06)

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ORU drops first home game to Jags

By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer

1/17/2006

IUPUI overcame a 15-point deficit to claim its first victory over Oral Roberts at the Mabee Center, 61-58, Monday night.

Four players finished in double figures for the Jaguars (10-6 overall, 5-1 Mid-Continent Conference), led by Kia Hayes' team-high 16 points. Jernisha Cann followed with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Tanika Mays and Brykeesha Tate finished with 12 and 10.

Despite trailing by 15 at intermission, Hayes said the team was confident it could win its fourth straight.

"We knew we still had 20 minutes to play and all we had to do was play our game," Hayes said. "Coach (Shann) Hart told us to get out and play our game. It motivated us. The first half we didn't have our heads in the game. The second half we came out played like a team."

The Jaguars closed to within 49-43 on Cann's jumper with 10:22 to play then used a 16-7 run over the final 8:27 to collect the victory.

"We came in as the underdogs," Hayes said. "We've never won here since I've played at IUPUI. It's nice to get the win here."

Elisha Turek scored a career-high 29 points for the Golden Eagles. The junior forward also had 12 rebounds to record her 31st career double-double.

ORU (8-8 and 2-3) grabbed a quick lead thanks largely to the scoring of Turek, who connected on seven of her first nine shots to stake the home team to a 17-12 cushion midway through the first half.

But Cann and Hayes kept the Jaguars close until the final three minutes of the half, when the Golden Eagles scored eight unanswered points to close out on top 36-21.

ORU's perimeter game struggled all night.

The Golden Eagles were just 2-of-17 from beyond the arc but each trey proved pivotal in the second half.

Rachel Watman buried the first with 10:46 to go to put ORU up 49-41.

By the time Leah Cannon sank the second, the Golden Eagles were down by four. Her trey with 1:59 to play cut the deficit to 59-58.

Turek got a steal on the opposite end, but Sarah Davidson's 3-pointer from the corner hit off the back rim.

Davidson fouled Brykeesha Tate to stop the clock with 20 seconds to play. But the IUPUI guard hit both free throws to put her team up 61-58.

Cannon's 3-pointer on the opposite end hit off the front rim and IUPUI lost the ball out of bounds to give the Golden Eagles another shot.

But again, the shot was too strong.

The loss was the third straight for ORU, which returns to action at 7:05 p.m. Monday at home against UMKC.

IUPUI 61, ORAL ROBERTS 58

IUPUI 21 40 -- 61

ORU 36 22 -- 58