20110322_the_golden_eagles_enter_only_their_third_in_history
The Golden Eagles enter only their third Women's NIT in program history
Courtesy: ORU Media Relations
Game #34 (WNIT Round #3)
Oral Roberts (23-10) vs. Arkansas (21-11)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
7:05 p.m.
Tulsa, OK
Game Day Information
Radio: KYAL 1550am
nternet: Audio, Live Stats
Fresh off of a thrilling come-from-behind win over Tulane, the ORU women's basketball
team now hosts Arkansas Wednesday evening in the WNIT's 'Sweet 16' at 7:05 p.m. in
the Mabee Center.
Scouting Arkansas
The Golden Eagles face a familiar foe on Wednesday in the Arkansas Razorbacks. ORU
traveled to Fayetteville on December 16, dropping a 63-80 decision to Arkansas in
a game that featured Kevi Luper scoring 20 points and breaking the 1,000 point mark.
At the time the Razorbacks were a blazing 10-0 in competition, while ORU sat at 5-6
on the year.
Heading into the game, Arkansas now holds a 21-11 overall record, and finished the
SEC slate with a 6-10 mark. Arkansas enters the Mabee Center winners of three of their
last six, including WNIT victories over Lamar and Missouri State. They also won a
78-61 game over SIU Edwardsville following a loss to Florida in the conference tourney.
The Razorbacks will be playing without Lyndsay Harris, who suffered a knee injury
in the SEC tournament. Harris was averaging 12 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in
29 starts.
Arkansas is led by C'eira Ricketts, who posts14.2 points and 4.9 boards per game.
The junior guard shoots 38% from the floor and 67% from the free throw line.
As a team, Arkansas scores 64.7 points per game and holds their opponents to an average
of 59.3. The Razorbacks shoot 40% from the floor and 32% from beyond the arc.
Series History
Arkansas holds a 14-8 lead over ORU in a series that dates all the way back to 1977.
ORU won the first three from 77-79, but have dropped nine straight from 1988 through
the last meeting on December 16, 2010. The last time the Razorbacks visited the Mabee
Center they dealt ORU an 89-52 setback on 12/2/97. The last time ORU defeated in Arkansas
in Tulsa was on 1/2/88 when they pulled out a 77-66 victory. Overall, ORU has posted
a 6-2 record over Arkansas at Mabee.
ORU in the WNIT
The Golden Eagles enter only their third Women's NIT in program history. Following
the Tulane win, ORU is 4-2 in WNIT action, with their best showing coming in 1983,
when the team went 2-1 (3rd place) with victories over Hawaii and Weber State and
a loss to Memphis. The second appearance was just last season, when the Summit League
regular season champs stumbled 53-75 in round one at Missouri State. In Jerry Finkbeiner's
15 years at the helm of ORU basketball, the Golden Eagles have appeared in five NCAA
and two WNIT tournaments.