Oral Roberts 72, UMKC 64

2/21/2008 10:37 PM

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -Robert Jarvis scored 22 points, including 12 in the final nine minutes of the game, as Oral Roberts clinched a share of the Summit League regular-season conference title with a 72-64 victory over Missouri-Kansas City Thursday night.

Former Oklahoma State basketball coach Eddie Sutton was on hand to see Oral Roberts (20-6, 15-1 Summit), coached by his son, Scott, win its fourth straight regular-season title. Eddie Sutton serves as interim coach at San Francisco.

Adam Liberty added 15 points and Shawn King had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Eagles.

Reggie Hamilton led the Kangaroos (9-19, 4-11) with 22 points and Tim Blackwell scored 14.

Oral Roberts was leading 51-47 midway through the second half before Jarvis sank two 3-pointers and scored on a technical during a 2:06 stretch to increase its advantage to 59-51. A 3-pointer from Jarvis and a Marcus Lewis basket gave Oral Roberts a 66-55 advantage with 2:38 remaining.

After the teams traded baskets, a basket from Kenny Simms and Hamilton's three-point play cut the Golden Eagles' lead to 68-62 with 39 seconds left. Jarvis and Liberty each sank two free throws in the next 15 seconds to clinch the victory for Oral Roberts.

Brian Gettinger opened the game with a 3-pointer, but that was UMKC's only lead. Oral Roberts followed with an 11-3 run that included five points from King. UMKC cut its deficit to 14-12 with 9:14 left in the half before Jarvis answered with a trey.

After a basket by UMKC's Jeremiah Hartsock, Oral Roberts reeled off nine straight points to boost its advantage to 26-14. Hamilton, however, scored eight points in a 15-6 spurt in the final six minutes of the half.

Blackwell sank a 3-pointer on the Kangaroos' final possession to reduce Oral Roberts' lead to 32-29 at halftime.

Oral Roberts outrebounded UMKC 31-26, and shot 55 percent from the field (25-of-45), including 65 percent in the second half (13-of-20).

UMKC was 45 percent from the field (24-of-53).