by TULSA, Okla. – Four Golden Eagles scored double-digit points, for the second straight game, as the Oral Roberts women’s basketball team fell short to Summit League newcomer North Dakota, 75-67, Wednesday evening at the Mabee Center.
In the first ever meeting between Oral Roberts and North Dakota, the Fighting Hawks came out victorious, but not without a fight from the Golden Eagles. After back and forth play in the first quarter that was closed out by a three-point bucket by Lakota Beatty at the buzzer, ORU led 16-14. With 13 first half points, Maya Mayberry was the team’s leading scorer in the first 20 minutes of play followed by Lakota Beatty with 11. The Golden Eagles out-scored the Fighting Hawks 21-19 in the second and led at the half 37-33. ORU opened the game shooting 64 percent from the field in the first and 46 percent in the second.
North Dakota came out of the locker room having made adjustments to their offensive scheme and out-scored ORU in the third and fourth quarters, 42-30. Free throws were the biggest difference in the game as North Dakota went to the charity stripe 20 more times than ORU. The Fighting Hawks went 34-for-38 from the line, as ORU went 13-for-18. The largest lead of the game for North Dakota was nine that came in the fourth with 17 seconds in play. The Fighting Hawks shot 58 percent in the fourth quarter.
ORU had four double-digit scorers in the game. Beatty (Caddo/Lakota/Gros Ventre) led the Golden Eagles with 16 points on the night going 4-for-10 from the three-point line and 6-for-13 overall. She tied her career high with seven rebounds. Keni Jo Lippe had 15 points on the night and Maya Mayberry had 13 going 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Regan Schumacher recorded 10 points and went 5-for-7 from the field and had seven boards. The Golden Eagles shot 38 percent overall on the night and 30 percent from long-range.
UND was led by Jill Morton who had 23 points and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Summit League player of the week and preseason first team all-league selection, Lexi Klabo, had 19 points with 11 from the line. Klabo also had a double-double on the night grabbing 10 rebounds. Julia Fleecs had 11 points for the Fighting Hawks.
