ORU heads to first Sweet 16 since 1974
TULSA, Okla. (BVM) — In their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are heading to the Sweet 16.
After defeating No. 2 seed Ohio State, the Golden Eagles were faced with another tough challenge. Matched up with the No. 7-seeded Florida Gators, no one expected the Golden Eagles to beat another top-10 team in the Big Dance.
Led by the dynamic duo of Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor, who combined for 54 points, Oral Roberts created madness once again.
“This is March,” Kevin Obanor said in a press conference following the win. “This is when players make plays.”
Leading by 11 with just under 10 minutes to play, the Gators couldn’t buy a basket. Oral Roberts fought back and proved to the nation that it has the clutch gene. Something that helped the Golden Eagles beat the Gators was their ability to make 19 of 23 free-throw attempts.
With this win, it is the first time that Oral Roberts will be playing in the Sweet 16 since 1974. The win over Florida is another historic one because it means that the Golden Eagles are just the second-ever No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16. The last team to do it was Florida Gulf Coast in 2013.
“I’m very grateful,” Obanor said. “Even with this crazy year of COVID, nothing was promised. The fact that we have March Madness and the fact we can win a couple of games were just very grateful, very humble, very honored. … The last time we won a game in the NCAA Tournament was in 1974; now we’re in the Sweet 16. It’s really just mind-blowing. Happy we got the win.”
Now the Golden Eagles will be preparing for the upcoming matchup against No. 3 seed Arkansas. Both teams have met once already this season. The Golden Eagles actually had a 40-30 lead against the Razorbacks but eventually lost the game 87-76.
In what seems to be an upset-friendly tournament, it wouldn’t be surprising if we are in for another exciting finish.
ORAL ROBERTS IS HEADED TO THE SWEET 16 pic.twitter.com/fUw1jvGjbX
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 22, 2021
