Shirking doormat role - Tulsa World (2-2-2006)

[ORUTerry]

Shirking doormat role

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

2/2/2006

Southern Utah, once an easy game for ORU, now third in Mid-Con

This probably isn't the best time to play Southern Utah.

A better time would have been when the Thunderbirds were 1-11. Now, they're one of the best teams in the Mid-Continent Conference.

The Thunderbirds are a surprising third in the standings, and could be higher as they visit second-place Oral Roberts University at 7:05 p.m. Thursday.

Their only losses since falling to ORU on Jan. 4 in Utah were heartbreakers at Indiana-Purdue and Centenary. Reverse those games, and Southern is in first place at 7-1.

Not bad for a team that finished seventh, seventh and eighth in the league the past three years and was picked to finish eighth again.

"It's a hefty achievement. I think it says something about our guys," said head coach Bill Evans.

Evans finally has newcomers Henry Uhegwu and Justin Allen on the same page with holdovers Nate and Rand Janes, Steve Barnes and Lubor Olsovsky.

The Thunderbirds lead the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.419) and have raised their overall percentage from .428 to .473 by shooting 53 percent since the start of conference play.

"Talk about running into teams at the wrong time, they're playing with as much confidence as they have all year," said ORU coach Scott Sutton.

Confidence is the key. The Thunderbirds developed little during their first 12 games, playing at Arizona State, Brigham Young, Weber State, Idaho, Drake and Nevada-Las Vegas, with only two at home.

"When you lose three of four in a row, your kids lose confidence in the system, themselves, and (the head coach)," Evans said. "It's part of the thing you have to overcome when you play a lot of guarantee games, like a lot of the teams in this conference have to play."

Six of the last nine have been at home, and the Thunderbirds have gotten more comfortable with their coach and each other.

The athletic 6-foot-3 Uhegwu has become one of the Mid-Con's top newcomers, averaging 11 points per game and 13.9 in conference play.

"At first, he was trying to get everything to the basket," Evans said of Uhegwu. "He had to learn it's harder to do at this level what he was able to do at Dixie (Utah) College. Sometimes it's OK to shoot an open jump shot."

Uhegwu is one of four players with at least 20 treys, while Barnes, Rand Janes and reserve center Esteban Bonzano rank among the league's top six in individual 3-point percentage.

The Thunderbirds can heat up in a hurry.

In ORU's earlier win this season, the Eagles led by 13 with 10:30 left, but Southern went on an 18-4 run, and ORU needed big plays down the stretch to survive.

ORU has won the last seven meetings, but three of the last four were decided by six points or less.

"They're a dangerous team," Sutton said. "Coach Evans does a terrific job, and they always get better as the season goes on."

[tmh8286]

They ARE a potentially dangerous team. Everybody remember the home loss to them on January 24, 2002, when they came from behind and beat us in overtime, 71-70? Two glaring memories from that game - ORU inbounding the ball under their own basket, throw it to Tyrone Tiggs in the back court, who is careless with the ball and has it stolen, then the SUU player makes the layup while Tyrone fouls him on the shot. Three point turnaround off the turnover. Major part of their tying it up in regulation. Then in OT we had two tries at the final, winning shot - both point blank layups, and both missed.

My memory has the shooter being Reggie Tate, but according to the media guide he was only there 98-00. Anybody remember who it was that missed those point blank, potentially game winning shots?

[praetorfenix86]

I think that was the game I had to leave because I got really sick in the second half and then I couldn't believe we lost.

[ORUTerry]

This game will give us a good reading on how ORU can attack a well- played zone defense. Southern Utah - as Eaglbackr has commented - is better than their record indicates. And they typically improve (at least defensively) as the season progresses. The Thunderbirds are an impressive shooting team - especially from the perimeter. We must put a hand up in their face every time they shoot and aggressively pound the boards to limit their shot attempts. It goes without saying that we must keep the turnovers to a minimum.

This game will go a long way in determining the conference race - I hope the guys are focused and come out intense. If we come out like we did against Centenary, Southern Utah will make us play.