Oral Roberts steals 2OT win from Oakland
ROCHESTER HILLS – Twice this season Oakland has had to work overtime at home this season. Both times the games ended with the same result.
Oakland finally succumbed to Summit League-leading Oral Roberts Monday night at the Athletics Center O’rena, falling 80-72 in double-overtime.
It was the Golden Grizzlies first loss at home since an overtime defeat to Penn State in early December, 2010. The loss ended a nine-game home win streak and three-game win streak in the conference.
“I just told the team in the locker room that I was really proud of their mental toughness,” said Oakland head coach Beckie Francis. “It was so big to hang with [Oral Roberts], especially with Bethany Watterworth fouling out so early in the first overtime. I think that we improved from the last time we played them. I think that we improved and were aggressive in the second half. Now we will just look to do that for a whole game next time.”
Junior Sharise Calhoun scored a career-high 28 points to lead Oakland (14-8, 8-3), which fell three games behind ORU in the conference standings.
Trailing by five in the first overtime, Calhoun carried Oakland back into the game, hitting a jumper and then scoring an old-fashioned three-point-play to tie the game with 23 seconds left. Oakland was then able to make a second consecutive last-second stop to force double-overtime.
In the second extra session, the two teams traded baskets before Kevi Luper drew a foul and knocked down a pair of free throws to put ORU ahead, 72-70. Savanna Buck then picked up a steal and scored to put the Golden Eagles (15-7, 11-0) up by four points and ORU led the remainder of the game. Luper scored 36 points on 14-for-29 shooting from the field.
Calhoun was one of three Oakland players in double-digits on a 12-for-23 shooting effort to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Junior Brittany Carnago had 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the year. Watterworth finished with 13 points, giving her double-digits in 21 of 22 games this season.
Trailing by 12 points with 15:03 to play in the second half, Oakland chipped away at the ORU lead and eventually tied the game at 55-55 on a layup by Carnago. The Golden Grizzlies then took their first lead of the game, 57-55 on a pair of free throws by Watterworth with 3:02 to play in regulation. Calhoun then knocked down a pair of jumpers to give Oakland a 61-57 lead with 1:31 to play.
Luper hit back-to-back baskets, the second coming off an OU turnover, to tie the game at 61-61 with 55.6 seconds to play. Despite turning the ball over 25 times, the Golden Grizzlies forced ORU into 21 turnovers. After allowing the visitors to shoot 42.1 percent in the first half, OU held Oral Roberts to just 15-for-51 (29.4 percent) shooting in the second half and overtime combined.
Freshman Zakiya Minifee set a career-high with 12 rebounds and three blocks to go along with five assists as Oakland’s scrapped for 55 rebounds including 18 offensive boards to earn a 15-9 edge in second-chance points. Freshman Elizabeth Hamlet also gave OU a spark with eight points and six rebounds off the bench. Jaci Bigham had 13 points for ORU including a key 3-pointer that put ORU up by five in the first overtime, while Amber Carver added 10 points for ORU.
With the loss Oakland falls back into a tie for second place in The Summit League standings with IPFW. Oral Roberts remains atop the league with an unblemished league record. The loss was just the second for Oakland at home this season and both have come in overtime.
Oakland continues Summit League play at IUPUI on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The game is being played at Conseco Fieldhouse which is the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever of the WNBA.
Category: Oakland University, Prep Wraps
