ORU hoops — Tabor leftovers, South Dakota lookahead, etc.

If you're into slaughters of NAIA basketball teams, then here's a recap of Oral Roberts' dismantling of Tabor on Tuesday night: http://bit.ly/164fV76. For a game that featured 94 points on the Golden Eagles' end, nothing spectacular really stood out. But, ORU coach Scott Sutton said it was mission accomplished and time to move on.

And that's what we'll do.

Time to resume Summit League shenanigans on Saturday in Vermillion, South Dakota. And I'm sure there are plenty of shenanigans along the South Dakota-Nebraska border —  where the Coyotes reside.

The Golden Eagles dispatched of Haskell in much the same manner in December and parlayed that into a road win at Detroit to round out the December schedule. ORU could benefit from the same scenario playing out this weekend.

ORU needs to compile some road victories to make up for the home blunder against South Dakota State.

If ORU is to prevail in any of its next three games — at South Dakota, at IUPUI and at IPFW — it'll have to improve immensely at the free throw line. A once solid free-throw shooting team, ORU is now struggling from that 15-foot charity line.

The Golden Eagles in their last three games have gone 10 of 17, 10 of 21 and 13 of 24 from the foul line. None of those percentages are over 58 percent.

That's troubling.

"I don't know," Sutton said when asked to pinpoint the recent troubles at the line. "Obi Emegano is one of the best 15-foot shooters I've ever been around, and he's a guy that could easily shoot 90 percent. He's shooting below 80."

ORU is still seventh in the country at free throws made (368), but the Golden Eagles have slipped in the free-throw percentage category, dropping to 83rd with a 71.7 percentage.

"We just have to keep putting them in positions in practice and put a little bit of pressure on them, where they have to make a certain percentage of free throws," Sutton said. "If they don't, they run. That's the only thing we can keep doing."

Emegano is 12th in the country in free throws made (119). Imagine where he'd be if he hadn't missed a portion of his 32 missed freebies this year.

In South Dakota, ORU will find a team that's probably pretty peeved. The Coyotes lost at home to an improving IPFW team, but they'll still feel like they should have won.

So, really, IPFW probably didn't do the Golden Eagles any favors.

Either way, ORU has to find a way to win its next three road games — or least snag two of the three.

"We can't get back the ones we've lost," Sutton said. "It's put us behind a little bit, but all you can do is worry about the next one."

Two of the best rebounding guards will be on display with ORU and South Dakota clash. South Dakota's Tyler Larson grabs a league-leading eight a game, while Billbury is hauling in seven.

Neither is taller than 76 inches.

ORU's time on the road would also be a great time for one of the Golden Eagles' role players — Jabbar Singleton, Bobby Word, Adrion Webber, Aaron Young, Darian Harris, Brandon Conley — to step up. Although, we've been saying that all season long.

Perhaps Dederick Lee becomes more involved in ORU's plans after scoring nine points with six assists against Tabor.

Harris recently found a new surge of confidence, so maybe Lee's time is rapidly approaching.

Summit League sidenote: If you're into ugly games, the IUPUI-Western Illinois game tonight in Macomb may be right up your alley. The offense for both teams could get highly offensive — and not in a good way. First one to 60 probably wins.

ORU signee update...

- Chris Crawford, Victory Christian

The Conqueror guard scored 14 points in VC's 82-43 pummeling of Summit Christian on Tuesday. Crawford will be on display at the BOK Center on Saturday, when Victory Christian takes on Edison at 10:30.

- Chris Miller, Booker T. Washington

The 6-foot-7 Hornet forward scored 11 points while helping Booker T. Washington to the Jenks/Union Invitational crown last weekend. Then he turns around and has 31 points on Tuesday, but BTW loses to McLain. Strange. The Hornets will play at the BOK Center Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against Memorial.

- Javan White, Ames (Iowa)

The Little Cyclones have won three in a row, thanks in large part to the 6-foot-8 Golden Eagle signee. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a blowout of Marshalltown, and he followed that up with an 11-point, nine-rebound effort in a win over Prairie, Cedar Rapids. Then on Tuesday night, White had a Jason Kidd-like performance (nine points, eight rebounds, seven blocks) as Ames beat Valley, West Des Moines.

Ames now finishes out the regular season with five of six games at home, including tonight against Fort Dodge.