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TULSA – Oral Roberts hit four 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes and used a decisive 9-2 run midway through the final stanza to take down the Missouri State Bears, 73-66, here Sunday in MSU's first road loss of the season.
 
Missouri State (9-3) got 14 points and 5 rebounds from Jarrid Rhodes, while J.T. Miller added 13 points.
 
The Bears led for more than 19 minutes and by as many as 11 points, but could not get defensive stops down the stretch.
 
MSU led 38-34 at the intermission and held off an early 5-0 outburst by the Golden Eagles to retake the lead on a trey by Jarred Dixon with just under 13 minutes to go. ORU then tied the game, 47-47, on a triple by Emmenuel Nzekwesi before Alize Johnson put MSU up again on a close-range bucket with 12:14 remaining.
 
Oral Roberts then went on a 9-2 surge over the next three minutes to lead 56-51, and the visitors would never lead again.
 
Missouri State climbed within a possession of the lead six times over the next five minutes, including three critical scores from Miller. But each time the Bears got close, Oral Roberts (3-9) had an answer.
 
After Johnson brought the Bears back within 65-62 on a 3-pointer, ORU's Sam Kearns hit back-to-back threes to put the Golden Eagles up 68-62 with 4:05 to go.
 
The Bears would get within four on baskets by Miller and Reggie Scurry down the stretch, but a tough traveling call on Dixon in the final minute and four straight empty possessions sealed MSU's fate. Missouri State did not score in the last minute, 44 seconds of the contest.
 
Missouri State's usually-stingy defense allowed ORU to convert 53.1 percent of its field goals (26-of-49), by far a season high by a Bears' opponent. The Golden Eagles also made 9-of-20 (.450) from beyond the arc and got to the foul line 13 more times than MSU.
 
Missouri State finished 26-of-57 (.456) from the field and 7-of-24 (.292) from long range. The Bears out-rebounded the home club, 35-26, to help MSU tally 15 second-chance points. MSU also posted 14 assists, including a career-high 7 by Dixon.
 
ORU got 26 points in the paint, including a game-high 17 by Nzekwesi. Javan White added 14 points, and Kearns scored 13 with 8 assists.
 
The Bears started the afternoon slowly, rallying from an early seven-point deficit before the first media timeout to tie the game on a jumper by Scurry less than six minutes in. MSU extended its lead to as many as 11 in the first half, using a 7-0 run over a three-minute span to push ahead 33-22 after a triple by Ryan Kreklow.
 
Late in the half, ORU's Emir Ahmedric had the hot hand, scoring six straight points to get the home side within 36-31 before the Golden Eagles ended the half with a trey by Kearns to make it a 38-34 contest at the midway point.
 
The Bears will break for finals before returning to action at JQH Arena on Dec. 19 when they take on Wright State at 7 p.m. Tickets for the WSU game are on sale now at MissouriStateBears.com or at the Old Missouri Bank Box Office at JQH Arena -- (417) 836-7678 – during regular box office hours.