After trailing 16-10, the Cougars ignited with a 14-2 run to lead 24-16, keyed by back-to-back slam dunks by Plaisted and Lee Cummard. Fernando Malaman's 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper by Mike Rose came before Jimmy Balderson drove down the lane for a wild hook shot that went in after a foul. Balderson's three-point play pushed the Cougars ahead by six points.

A 3-point shot by Rose and a fast-break layin by Cummard in the closing seconds of the half gave the Cougars a 37-33 lead at intermission. Both teams shot identical 14-of-33 in the first 20 minutes.

Austin Ainge replaced Rashaun Broadus just under four minutes into the first half and logged the remaining 16 minutes with three assists. His backdoor steal of Green's dribble at the 3:55 mark of the first half led to a three-on-one break and Balderson scoring on a layin for a 31-28 lead.

Ainge had four turnovers in the final 15 minutes, but Rose stuck with his other senior point guard, who played 30 minutes and went 0-for-4 from the field.

"Austin had a better understanding of what Oral Roberts was trying to do to us (defensively) and this was one of those times you have a point guard in the game and you stick with him."

With playing time mounting for some Cougars, Cummard said there is a little concern about keeping legs in a three-straight game tournament. "We were feeling it a little tonight and maybe that's why our shooting was a little off," he said.

But Plaisted, who had his second double-double of the season, said playing every night is fun because he and his teammates don't have to practice.

"Hopefully the altitude factor will kick in Saturday night in our favor," he said.

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com