PDF Box ScoreTULSA, Okla. – The North Dakota State men's basketball team cut a 10-point second half deficit to one, but an 18-foot jumper from
Dexter Werner missed at the buzzer, and Oral Roberts escaped with a 66-65 victory on Saturday evening.
Â
NDSU (11-6 overall, 1-2 Summit) lost consecutive Summit League games for the first time since January 2013.
Â
Junior forward
Dexter Werner posted his second double-double of the season to lead the Bison, finishing with a season-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Â
Oral Roberts (9-9 overall, 1-3 Summit) was led by 13 points apiece from senior guard Obi Emegano and sophomore center Albert Owens.
Â
The Bison scored the first seven points of the game and held a 32-30 lead at halftime. With the game tied at 34-34, the Golden Eagles put together a 10-0 run keyed by seven straight points from Emegano. ORU led 44-34 with 16:48 remaining.
Â
NDSU never overcame the 10-point deficit. The Bison pulled within two following a layup by Werner with 2:45 left.
A.J. Jacobson later converted a three-point play that had NDSU within one at 64-63 with 10.6 seconds on the clock.
Â
A pair of free throws by ORU's Jalen Bradley made the score 66-63, but Jacobson made both free throws at the other end after ORU elected to foul. Leading 66-65 with 3.5 seconds left, Oral Roberts committed a turnover on the inbound pass.
Â
With 3.2 seconds remaining, NDSU struggled with its own inbound pass in front of the Bison bench. Werner scooped up the loose ball after a deflection, but his 18-foot jumper missed at the buzzer.
Â
Jacobson finished with 13 points for NDSU.
Kory Brown had six points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Â
NDSU returns home to host South Dakota on Wednesday, Jan. 13, and South Dakota State on Saturday, Jan. 16 next week.
Â