SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota – A disappointing season for the ORU men’s basketball team ended Sunday as ORU (11-21) lost to North Dakota State (16-15), 73-86, in the opening round of the Summit League Championship Tournament.

ORU started the game 10-10 from the field and opened up a 13-point lead less than seven minutes into the game. After the halftime break, ORU started 0-17 from the field before finally getting a shot to fall, and shot just 20 percent for the half.

Kevin Obanor, the league’s Freshman of the Year, had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, going 12-15 from the free throw line. Sam Kearns also reached double figures for ORU with 16 points.

In his final game as a Golden Eagle, Kaelen Malone had eight assists.  Kerwin Smith ended his ORU career with six points and five rebounds, as well as two steals.

Tyson Ward was 7-10 from the field and 11-13 from the free throw line en route to 25 points to lead NDSU. Jared Samuelson added 15 points and Cameron Hunter scored 13.

Rocky Kreuser grabbed a team-best eight rebounds.

“We were the youngest team in this league by a wide margin in regards to minutes continuity,” said ORU coach Paul Mills. “It was good for us to be in this kind of experience. We are obviously disappointed in the outcome but I am proud of the guys in the locker room.”

ORU shot 42 percent (24-57) from the field for the game, going 18-27 (66 percent) in the first half, but just 6-30 (20 percent) in the second half.

ORU was 10-24 (42 percent) from 3-point range and 15-23 (65 percent) from the free throw line in the game.

NDSU shot 59 percent (25-42) from the field, 50 percent (10-20) from 3-point range and 72 percent (26-36) from the free throw line.

ORU out-rebounded the Bison 33-28 but held just a 9-6 edge in second-chance points. The Bison used ORU’s 11 turnovers to a 16-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

With the 25 point effort, Obanor finished the season as ORU’s leading scorer at 14.9 points, the sixth highest average for a freshman in program history, topping the 14.6 averaged by All-American Mark Acres. Obanor is the first freshman to lead ORU in scoring since Ken Tutt in 2003-04. ‘

Emmanuel Nzekwesi finished his junior season with 1,084 points and 642 rebounds three years into his career.

He will enter his senior season 27th in ORU history in scoring, and just 39 rebounds away from the top 10 in school history.