TULSA, Okla. – Oral Roberts' Bobby Word hit six second-half 3-pointers, including five straight, to score 20 points and lead the Golden Eagles to an 88-55 victory over HBU in the Southland Conference opener Thursday night at Mabee Center.
 
Sophomore forward Cody Joyce and junior guard Tyler Russell led the Huskies (3-10, 0-1 SLC) with 10 points each. Junior center had seven rebounds for HBU, and freshman forward Colter Lasher scored eight points off the bench.
 
Word went 7-of-10 from the field and 6-for-9 from long range. Shawn Glover added 16 points, and Korey Billbury had 15 for ORU (7-7, 1-0). David Mason led the Golden Eagles with 11 rebounds.
 
Junior guard Marcel Smith gave the Huskies an early two-point lead with a 3-pointer, then the Huskies led 15-10 with 12:10 to go after a nice up-and-under by sophomore forward Dauson Womack, a three by sophomore guard Rob Lewis and a free throw by Womack. The Golden Eagles scored four-straight to get to within one, but Lasher nailed a trey to make the score 20-16.
 
A reverse layup by Drew Wilson and a 12-foot baseline jumper by Glover tied the game, 23-23, with 3:36 remaining, then ORU took the lead on a free throw by Billbury and a layup by Jorden Kaufman. Lasher knotted the score again with another three, but Kaufman hit a short hook and Glover sank a pair of free throws. Smith made a floater with 30 seconds left, but Adrion Webber's three from the corner just before the buzzer sent the Golden Eagles to the break with a 33-28 lead.
 
HBU shot 38 percent, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc, in the first half, but made just 6-of-13 from the free throw line. ORU shot 41 percent, 1-of-6 from 3-point range, and 8-for-13 from the stripe. The Golden Eagles outrebounded the Huskies, 20-18, in the opening frame. Lasher led HBU with six points, while Glover had 12 for ORU at halftime.
 
ORU opened the second half with an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 13 with 16:38 to go, but HBU got back-to-back buckets by Russell and Joyce. Jabbar Singleton hit a three for the Golden Eagles, Joyce answered with a jump hook, but Singleton made a layup on the other end to put ORU ahead, 44-32, with 15:50 left. The two teams traded baskets, and a layup by Joyce made it 50-40 with 12:20 on the clock.
 
That is when Word got hot and hit 3-pointers on five-straight possessions as part of a 20-0 run that pushed the Golden Eagles' lead to 70-40 with 8:33 remaining and put the game away.  
 
The Huskies complete the conference-opening road trip at Central Arkansas Saturday at 4 p.m. in Conway.