KATY, Texas -- Korey Billbury and Shawn Glover combined for 35 points as No. 6 seed Oral Roberts held off No. 7 McNeese State, 66-62, in a Southland Conference tournament opener Wednesday night.

The victory sends the Golden Eagles into a quarterfinal matchup with No. 3 Sam Houston (21-9).

Oral Roberts (17-15) lost its regular-season meeting with the Cowboys, falling 79-68 at Lake Charles in February when its 13-point first-half lead evaporated in the second half.

McNeese State (11-20) pulled within three points on a 3-pointer by Ledrick Eackles with 1:22 left and again on an Eackles 3 with 5 seconds left. Glover responded to the first trey by hitting jumper and Bobby Word added a pair of free throws. Billbury answered the second 3-pointer by hitting the first of two free throws.

Billbury finished with 18 points for Oral Roberts, with Glover adding 17.

Eackles led the Cowboys with 28 points.