Box Score


                                                                   
HAMMOND  – A 15-2 run to close the first half gave Oral Roberts a comfortable lead that it never relinquished on the way to an 81-62 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in the women's basketball Southland Conference opener for both teams Thursday night in the University Center.
 
Oral Roberts (4-7, 1-0 Southland) shot 54.7 percent (29-for-53) from the floor in its first game as a league member. Southeastern (7-5, 0-1 Southland) had five players in double figures, but could not overcome ORU's hot shooting and 20 turnovers. The loss was the first at home for the Lady Lions.
 
Junior forward Aja Gibson and junior guard Jameika Hoskins scored 12 points apiece to lead the Lady Lions. The duo was joined in double figures by freshman forward Nanna Pool with 11 points, as well as senior guard Cierra Morris and sophomore guard Elizabeth Styles with 10 points each.
 
Styles led Southeastern with five assists, while junior guard Taylor Mims dished out four apiece. Gibson, Hoskins and junior forward Brandi Simmons shared team-high rebounding honors. Gibson, Morris and sophomore guard Symone Miller had two steals apiece.
 
ORU senior guard Kevi Luper, the Southland's leading scorer, shared game-high scoring honors with junior center Sarah Shelton. Both Golden Eagles knocked in 18 points.
 
While Luper and Shelton were the high scorers, senior guard Jaci Bingham was the unquestionable player of the game for Oral Roberts. Bigham posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists, while also leading the Golden Eagles with six rebounds and three steals.
 
The two teams played to a near stand-still through the majority of the first half, as a jumper by Styles brought Southeastern within three at 26-23 with 3:39 remaining in the opening half. ORU answered with 15 consecutive points before a Styles layup at the buzzer sent the Lady Lions into the break facing a 41-25 deficit.
 
Southeastern would get no closer than 15 in the second half, as ORU continued its efficient shooting from the floor. The lead would swell to as many as 32, before a late Lady Lion run pulled Southeastern closer.
 
Thursday's game was the first of three games in five days for the Lady Lions. Southeastern will return home on Saturday to host defending Southland Conference regular season champion Central Arkansas at 2 p.m. in the University Center. The game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at LionSports.net, where live video and stats will also be available. Hoskins will be Saturday's Spotlight Player of the Game and fans will receive trading cards featuring the Aberdeen, Miss. native as available, courtesy of the Southeastern PRIDE.