Manek, Sooners gear up for home tilt with Oral Roberts

Oklahoma owns all-time series lead 15-2; hasn't lost to Golden Eagles since 1976

Lon Kruger's Sooners sit at 3-1, their only loss courtesy of a historically prolific shooting performance by the Xavier Musketeers.

But now, a scrappy intra-state foe promises to test their mettle at the Lloyd Noble Center on Thursday night.

Kruger's team will hit the hardwood with Oral Roberts, marking the 18th all-time matchup between the two programs. The Sooners lead the series 15-2, and haven't dropped a game to ORU since 1976.

The Golden Eagles, however, will be hungry to end Oklahoma's 44-year run of domination in the series behind sophomore point guard Max Abmas (21.6 ppg) and junior forward Kevin Obanor (17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg).

“They’re very good," said Lon Kruger of ORU. "Coach [Paul] Mills has done a great job. He’s got great spacing; he’s got great players. He’s got guys that move the ball; they play unselfishly. Very good team.”

Though Oral Roberts is just 2-3 on the young season, two of their three losses came in hotly contested road games at Wichita State and Oklahoma State. The Golden Eagles eventually fell 85-80 to the Shockers and 83-78 to the Cowboys. 

“Obviously, going into Stillwater, going into Wichita, any time you play people like that to a one-possession game late, it’s a good team," Kruger remarked. “There won’t be any surprises about how good they are when they come in here on Wednesday."

Fortunately, the Sooners seem to boast a pretty decent squad of their own, led by standout forward Brady Manek, who hit his 200th career three-pointer in OU's 85-54 victory over Florida A&M on Saturday. The 6-foot-9 senior from Harrah became the tallest player in Big 12 history to eclipse the mark.

Meanwhile, senior guard Austin Reaves is averaging 6.3 assists per game through four contests, good for second in the Big 12. His 16.3 points per game ranks second on the team to Manek's 17.5, while guard De'Vion Harmon (14.0 ppg) and forward Kur Kuath (10.0 ppg) are also averaging double figures.

Tip-off from the Lloyd Noble Center is set for 7 p.m.

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