There was no game played between Oral Roberts and Missouri State on Sunday. That much is known.
Apparently a squirrel saw to it that there was no electricity in the south Tulsa area on Sunday afternoon. Power was restored to nearly all customers by 3:30, but ORU — and more importantly, the Mabee Center — remained dark until 5:30.
By then, Missouri State was long gone, and Sunday's game was postponed until a later date.
Or was it?
Both head coaches, Scott Sutton (ORU) and Paul Lusk (Missouri State), sounded extremely irritated once the game was called off. And by the sounds of the conversation between the two of them, it didn't sound like Lusk was willing to budge on rescheduling another trip to Tulsa — despite the fact that Missouri State plays at Tulsa on Dec. 17.
Sutton countered by saying that if Missouri State doesn't play at the Mabee Center at some point this season, then the Golden Eagles could just as easily call off their return trip to Springfield, Missouri, in the home-and-home series.
If that happens, no one wins.
Teams like ORU and Missouri State benefit from playing each other. Win or lose.
The Golden Eagles desperately need a good win, and one over Missouri State would certainly qualify. Missouri State needs a game against ORU to prepare for games in the Missouri Valley Conference.
It's just silly to not do everything possible to make up the game.
With that said, let's examine what ORU and Missouri State have left on their dockets until conference play starts for both teams. We'll also include some potential days when rescheduling Missouri State at the Mabee Center may work...
- This week (Dec. 8 through Dec. 12): Finals week — no way anything gets rescheduled on any of these days.
- Dec. 13 - ORU hosts New Mexico State; Missouri State plays at Southeast Missouri State.
- Dec. 14 - A trip to the southeast corner of Missouri followed by a trip to Tulsa probably isn't going to work for Missouri State. Scratch this day off the list.
- Dec. 15 - ORU certainly wouldn't want to play the day before going to play at Oklahoma.
- Dec. 16 - ORU will be in Norman to play the Sooners.
- Dec. 17 - Missouri State is at Tulsa.
- Dec. 18 - Would make some sense for Missouri State to play while already being back in Tulsa. But Lusk probably wants to avoid his team playing on back to back nights — despite it being solid preparation for conference tournament play.
- Dec. 19 - Both teams play on the 20th, so this date won't work.
- Dec. 20 - ORU is at Memphis; Missouri State is home to host Eastern Michigan.
- Dec. 21 - No way this date works with ORU in Springfield, Missouri, on the 22nd.
- Dec. 22 - The slated second game of the home-and-home series. Will it happen? We shall see.
- Dec. 23 - Both teams probably need a day to rest after a game Saturday and Monday.
- Dec. 24 - Would be surprised to see them play the day before Christmas.
- Dec. 25 - Happy holidays to one and all. Don't count on the game being rescheduled with Santa still making his rounds.
- Dec. 26 - This is a day that would make sense. Besides, might as well cure the holiday hangovers — from turkey, presents, etc. (not the alcoholic kinds) — with some basketball.
- Dec. 27 - If we're guessing as to when the game might get replayed, I'd put my money on this date. ORU plays the next day against Haskell, but prep time for Haskell would be very minimal.
- Dec. 28 - ORU hosts Haskell — if ORU was forced to cross Haskell off the list to add Missouri State, it ought to do it in a heart beat.
- Dec. 29 - ORU will be traveling to Detroit on this day.
- Dec. 30 - ORU plays at Detroit.
- Dec. 31 - Missouri State is at Southern Illinois.
- January through March - It's all conference play all the time for both teams, save for ORU's throwaway game against Tabor (Jan. 27).
Here's hoping ORU and Missouri State can work something out.
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