The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 30

April 14, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 9 Sports March Madness is all about the underdog. One game, win or go home, with the underdog having absolutely nothing to lose. In the first round of the tournament, there were 10 upsets, though none was bigger than 15-seed Oral Roberts University taking down two- seed Ohio State. Their Cinderella Run continued on until the Sweet Sixteen. After falling one shot away from an Elite Eight appearance, let’s take a look at how underdog Oral Roberts shocked the world and became the second 15-seed to ever make the Sweet Sixteen. Oral Roberts (16-10) was a dominant offensive team all season. Led by the No. 1 scorer in the nation, sophomore guard Max Abmas (24.6 PPG) and junior forward Kevin Obanor (18.7 PPG), the Golden Eagles were 14th in points per game (81.1), second in three-point shots made (323) and first in free-throw percentage (82.1%). As a team, 47% of their shots came from behind the arc -- an unreal amount. Oral Roberts lived and died by the three-ball. Going into their matchup with Ohio State (21-9), the odds weren’t in Oral Roberts favor, as odds makers had Ohio State as a 15-point favorite. Throughout the game, many expected Ohio State’s talent to help them break away. As regulation ended in a tie, the game went into overtime. After OT, the Golden Eagles came out on top by a score of 75-72. The team was led by Obanor and Abmas, who combined for 59 points. They hit 10 three-pointers as a duo while Ohio State had five three-pointers as a team. ORU became the ninth 15-seed to upset a two- seed, with the 15-seed having an all-time record of 8-132 before the Golden Eagles’ upset. This was just the beginning. The Golden Eagles had already shocked the world by taking down Ohio State, but a new competitor awaited in seven-seeded University of Florida (15- 9) with a Sweet Sixteen berth on the line. With Obanor and Abmas dominating another game, combining for 54 points, ORU took down UF by a slim margin of 3 points (81-78). Of the eight 15-seeds that advanced to the second round in NCAA history, all but one had lost (Florida Gulf Oral Roberts’ tournament run is what March Madness is all about Blake Malick Contributing Writer area that could not be contained by the archer. Both France and Spain have definitely not had the start they wished for, but there is a long way through until the teams for Qatar 2022 are set. France, as the latest champion, will have to defend their title and consequently have a far better improvement in their squad. In 2018, they were the most solid and consistent team when playing. In the next couple of matches, they will have to show off what they are made of and remind people why they are the reigning champions. Spain’s national team has a lot of young talent and experience. Although having a squad like in 2010 is almost impossible, they could easily become one of the strongest teams in Europe if they find the right system and chemistry between the youngsters and legends from “La Roja.” If both teams find the right path, they will be serious contenders. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is waiting for a new champion among its contenders. All national teams want eternal glory and the golden star on their respective shirts, but they know that there is a long and arduous road to achieve it. It all begins at the qualifying rounds. On aMarch 24, the qualifying rounds began in Europe with the national teams of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Unlike South America, the Old Continent did not start the qualifying rounds, thanks to the waves of COVID-19 back in October 2020, but the wait is over. From March 24 to March 31, three match days will be played by the 10 corresponding teams from the European qualifications. The German, Swedish, Italian and English national teams are the great powers that managed to reach the six points of both dates between March 24 and March 30 with no worries at all. Other countries, such as Turkey, Russia, and Denmark, also lead their respective groups, but do not have the same prominence as previous years. The Spain and France matches were both lacking, but a stunner from Dani Olmo, Spain’s midfielder, and a great finish from Ousmane Dembele, France’s forward, ended the game. France, the last and current world champion from 2018’s World Cup, lead group D. After a difficult start in the home game, with a draw against Ukraine Bleus’, France managed to claim a 2-0 win against Kazakhstan. The squad chosen by the coach, Didier Deschamps, was completely different from the Ukraine match. The only players from the original starting lineup were goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and forward Antoine Griezzman. The victory of the French national team came from a strong cross-level finish of Ousmane Dembele in the 14th minute of the first half. 30 minutes later, the score turned 2-0 in favor of France thanks to Ukrainian central defender Maliy’s blooper. Seconds earlier, he saved the Ukrainian team on the score line, and unfortunately for him in the next play, he did not see the ball coming from the corner and it bounced off his head and off his own goal giving France a two goal lead. The Spanish national team, unlike France, is in the second position of its group behind the solid start from the Swedish national team. In its first match “La Roja” faced Greece, which ended in a 1–1 draw. In this second game, played on March 28, the team led by the former Barcelona coach, Luis Henrique, sought nothing less than victory. What seemed to be an easy match in search of victory began as a nightmare for the Spanish national team. Prior to half-time, in the 43rd minute, midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stood 1-0 for the Georgian national team. The minutes passed and Spain did not find the right ways to reach the goal clearly. There was no football being played on the part of the Spaniards. However, in one of the many runs down the side band of Barcelona’s current left-back Jordi Alba, the Spanish national team was able to find the draw. Alba threw a center that ended up pushing forward Ferran Torres. With match 1-1 “La Roja” seeked the advantage. In the 92nd minute, Dani Olmo shot from outside the Santiago Finochietto Contributing Writer European teams fight to qualify for 2022 World Cup Coast in 2013). With this win, history was made. ORU became the second 15-seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The University of Arkansas Razorbacks (24-6), the three-seed, awaited them in the Sweet Sixteen. The matchup wasn’t the best for ORU, as they lacked rebounding and paint presence while Arkansas excelled in the paint and on the boards. It was going to take a huge game from Abmas and Obanor for ORU to become the first 15-seed to make the Elite Eight. The Golden Eagles fell to the Razorbacks by a score of 72-70. It was a hard-fought game from ORU, but Arkansas just proved to be too strong in the rebound game, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds as a team. Additionally, 56 of their 72 points were scored inside the three-point line. The short-handed Golden Eagles just couldn’t hang with Arkansas’ size. With Arkansas taking the lead with just 3.1 seconds remaining, ORU had just enough time to get a shooter open. As the clock ran out, Abmas put up a would-be game-winning fadeaway three-point shot from the right wing that just missed. A heartbreaker for the team and all that were rooting for them. Though they lost, they still put themselves and the underdog mentality on the map. This is what March Madness is all about. These guys didn’t have the Power- Five recruiters at their doorstep like their competition did. These players that the recruiters overlooked finally get a chance to show themselves on the biggest stage. Most of us know what it’s like to feel like the underdog, to feel undetected, whether it’s athletically or just in general. Abmas and Obanor were unranked coming out of high school, yet they were unstoppable through the first two rounds against some of the best programs in the country. This just shows that no matter what happens, never stop working. Your time could come at any moment. The underdog is why March is the greatest month of all time in collegiate sports, and they are sure to be more in the coming years. To start the 2020-2021 season, Women’s Tennis has come out of the gates on fire. The fourth ranked Sharks are 6-0 and sit at the top of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Behind Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Americans, sophomore Natalie Espinal and junior Karolina Snita, what have the Sharks done so far? Through March 27, the team has had two victories over top-10 teams. On March 7, NSU took down ninth- ranked Saint Leo 5-2, solidifying the team as a national contender. However, this isn’t their best win of the season. On March 24, NSU swept third-ranked Lynn University 7-0. This was NSU’s first series win over Lynn since 2016. Lynn’s tennis program is dominant and had only lost one match in their last 41 matches before NSU’s match. In singles, the team dominated again with 34-2, a win-percentage of 94.4%. In tennis, there are six singles matches. This season, Coach Doug Neagle seems to have his ideal lineup set. Espinal (5-1) has started off every match, Snita (6-0) follows her, senior Daniela Obando (5-0) is the third to play, the four spot is for junior Chantal Nosievici (5-0), sophomore Diane Follin-Arbelet (4-1) is fifth and sophomore Celia Montero Estevan (5-0) is the closer. The reserves consist of sophomore Caitlyn Khan (1-0) and senior Isabella Lowrey (1-0), who have each contributed a win in their lone appearances. The lineup has dominance at every spot. In doubles, the Sharks’ overall record is a commanding 16-2, with a win percentage of 88.9%. In fact, NSU’s three duos have been just as dominant together as they are in singles. Snita/Follin-Arbelet (5-1), Lowrey/Obando (5-0) and Espinal/ Women’s Tennis starts season on fire Blake Malick Contributing Writer Nosievici (4-1) have been excellent in almost all of their matches. Notably, Lowrey is one of NSU’s players that focuses on doubles, specifically. Lowrey has played in six doubles matches (6-0) compared to just one singles match. The Sharks biggest test of the season comes on April 7 when NSU traveled to take on second-ranked Barry University. The matchup is a possible preview of the SSC Championship, with the Bucs (4-0) in second place in the SSC, right behind the Sharks (6-0). Like NSU, Barry has two ITA All-Americans in Engelmann and Razafindranaly. An even matchup awaits… or does it? Since 2010, NSU has been dominated by Barry. Their record is 1-12, with the silver-lining being that the only win came somewhat recently in 2019 by a score of 4-2. In their 2020 meeting, the Bucs came out on top 4-2. The last two games have been split evenly and this match is anyone’s for the taking. It won’t be easy, but if NSU can take down Barry, the top spot in the Division-II rankings could be the Sharks. With three top-10 victories and an undefeated season, NSU’s resume would speak for itself, deserving of the top spot. When the SSC Championships roll around on April 21, the Sharks should have a great chance of taking home the team’s first conference championship. Only time will tell how the red-hot Sharks will finish the season. The NCAA Regional Championships are set for May 10 and the NCAA D-II National Championships are set for May 18. You can find out more about NSU’s Women’s Tennis team at https:// nsusharks.com/sports/womens-tennis.