Familiar foes began battling on Summit League hardwood last night and what could possibly pair better with the start of league play then some overreactions. However they end up looking when it’s all said and done, here are four takeaways from last night’s opening conference action on the men’s and women’s sides. 
 
MBB: Flex that muscle, Oral Roberts.
The Golden Eagles planted an early marker in the Summit race, slaloming through the defending champion Jackrabbits with a 39-point home win. Wins of this magnitude simply do not happen against SDSU, as the 40 points the Jackrabbits scored were the program’s lowest output since a 66-46 loss to Gonzaga in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. There are certainly caveats, as the Jackrabbits were still without Charlie Easley and Luke Appel, and the addition of both would make a massive difference the next time the teams play each other. 
 
Nonetheless, this was a night about ORU. The Golden Eagles were not in any sense reeling, but they were coming off a game against Missouri State where they had let a massive lead disappear in the second half and needed late magic to recapture. The Bears physicality seemed to bother them and while SDSU did not present that kind of test last year, ORU had another top billing performance from Connor Vanover (21 points, 3-7 3FG, 6 rebounds) in what should be the appetizer for a big conference season from the Arkansas transfer. Maybe even more surprisingly, Max Abmas and Isaac McBride did not hit double figures, showing the depth that this Golden Eagles team should lean on heavily as the Summit favorite. 
 
WBB: Don’t call it a moral win, don’t call it a moral win 
I imagine Kelsi Musick would not want to hear any of it, but the scare the Golden Eagles put into SDSU in Frost Arena has to be a boost to her team. The history was not on ORU’s side – as is obviously the case for many teams against the Jackrabbits. This was the team that ended the Golden Eagles season a year ago in the Summit League Tournament, and had beaten them by an average of 22 points over their past five meetings. 
 
But that was not how it went on Monday night. ORU landed the first punches, and nearly rode Hannah Cooper’s mid-range wizardry (25 points) to a road upset. Paiton Burckhard and Myah Selland ultimately overwhelmed the Golden Eagles on the interior in the second half, but the overall effort should add confidence to a 3-9 Golden Eagles team playing without Tirzah Moore that just went through the eighth toughest non-conference schedule in the country per warrennolan.com. 
 
For SDSU, the story of the night was the season debut of Paige Meyer. Last year’s breakout freshman was a factor all over the court (9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) as she returned from injury. 
 
MBB: Leathernecks quietly make their case
Or maybe not so quietly. Western Illinois is now riding a six-game winning streak after pulling away from North Dakota State late in the second half for a 19-point home win. It also might be time for this writer to issue a mea culpa for not including Alec Rosner (19 points, 5-8 3FG) in this recent breakout player piece. The Division II transfer has indeed broken out as one of the best scorers in the Summit and that was on display again alongside the typically brilliant Trenton Massner (24 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists), whose defense contributed to a tough perimeter shooting night for the Bison. 
 
It is hard not to see the potential in this WIU team. Similar to last year, Rob Jeter is relying on a short rotation, but he was able to replenish that supporting cast alongside Massner almost entirely this offseason, to now include a shooter defenses can not leave in Rosner, a versatile forward in Jesiah West and a reliable big man in Vuk Stevanic. Massner is one of the league’s ultimate trump cards, and the way the Leathernecks are playing right now should have them eying big things this season. 
 
WBB: Don’t sleep on the Fighting Hawks defense
Kacie Borowicz will get the headlines from North Dakota’s opening win against St. Thomas – their sixth straight – and she should. The preseason all-league first teamer hit the 20-point mark yet again, as she always seems to do, with 23 points in a game the Fighting Hawks blew open in the third quarter. Claire Orth (18 points) was not far behind, scoring in double figures for the third time in her past four games.
 
But like last year, UND’s stingy defense is also propelling their shiny start to this season. The Fighting Hawks smothered what has been a pretty reliable Tommies offense to the tune of 29.4 percent shooting from the field, and just 15.6 percent from distance. Players like Juliet Gordon and Nakiyah Hurst are contributing to a team defense that is holding Division I opponents to just 36.9 percent on the season, a mark that points them in the top 75 in the country and that number will only get better after their banner defensive night against UST.

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