ORU Lady Golden Eagles eliminated in first round of Summit League Tournament

The Oral Roberts Lady Golden Eagles were eliminated from the Summit League tournament in an upset by Western Illinois on Saturday. The final score was 83-71. The Leathernecks came out and dominated the Golden Eagles from the start of the game. The Eagles never seemed to get things rolling.

The Eagles played arguably their worst game of the season Saturday, shooting a dismal 36.5 percent from the field and turned the ball over 18 times. Only three Eagles scored in double figures (Luper, Pyle, Jones) and were 20-50 combined. Luper had 27 points but was 11-26 for the night.

Western Illinois on the other hand seemed like they couldn't miss a shot. Kelly Valencia led the assault with 24 points and 8 boards while Saule Kontautaite followed with 22, 18 from downtown. Western Illinois took advantage of ORU’s poor parameter defense and nailed 11 from downtown as a team.

The Eagles played poorly on all fronts: they shot terribly, made careless turnovers and played sloppy defense. Although they surged late in the second half, it was too late. Overall they seemed like they just didn’t want to win. They didn’t have the hunger and Western Illinois took advantage.