TULSA, Okla. -- Ken Tutt scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half to lead Oral Roberts to an 82-59 victory over Southern Utah in the first round of the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament on Saturday.
Tournament host Oral Roberts (24-6) had the home-crowd advantage and was a No. 1 seed, but struggled early in the first half.
They took the lead for good at 23-22 on a three-pointer by Jonathan Bluitt with 7:13 left in the first half.
Tutt and Mid-Con Player of the Year Caleb Green, ORU's sophomore tandem that averages a combined 36.9 points per game, were held to only five points in the first half by an upset-minded No. 8 seed Southern Utah (13-15).
Tutt was cold in the first half, going only one of eight from the field, while Green got into early foul trouble, sitting out the final 14:32 of the first half with two fouls.
But Tutt caught fire in the second half and ORU extended a 37-27 halftime lead into a blowout.
"I think everybody had jitters, playing our first game in the Mid-Con Tournament," said Tutt of ORU's slow start.
Lubor Olsovsky and Jason Baker led the Thunderbirds with 13 points apiece.
