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#5 UND (9-16) vs #4 ORU (13-10) 3/7 545 PM (Summit League Quarterfinals)


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UND finished their regular season with a split against hated Omaha.  After a BYE week, UND looks to play for the first time in 15 days as they take on the high scoring Golden Eagles in a 4/5 showdown at the Pentagon.

Regular Season Review:  Tied 1-1

Game 1: UND 72, ORU 71

Game 2: ORU 74, UND 57

Key Player: Max Abmas 

This sophomore guard has potentially the greenest light to shoot in the nation.  Not in the team, not in the conference, but the nation.  When he gets across half court, he will let it fly.  The leading scorer in the nation and Summit Player of the Year is a sniper and can get you 40 at any time.  With his running mate in Obanor, it gives the Eagles a lethal 1-2 punch that can potentially win the league.  Whoever gets the assignment will have to pick him up at half court and not give him any space to shoot. 

Keys:

1) Slow ORU in transition

2) Be efficient on the offensive end

3) Make the scoring difficult of Abmas

Other Games:

Saturday:

#1 SDSU vs #8 Omaha

Omaha managed to play their way in by sweeping Denver.  SDSU captured the league title with 2 wins over UMKC and a loss by USD.  This is the first time these two teams will play due because the series was cancelled due to COVID in the Omaha program.  Some in the SF media cried foul that Omaha was ducking SDSU (which was silly).  Now they get to match up.  SDSU is looking to move past some early exits and make a deep run.  Wilson is looking like his old self and the team is stepping up from the loss of Noah.  It will take a massive effort from Omaha to pull this off with such a short roster. 

#2 USD vs #7 WIU

WIU lost two tough ones down in Tulsa.  USD managed a split against NDSU but suffered an horrific loss when Plitzuweit suffered a serious knee injury in the first night.  Now USD goes in without half of their 1-2 punch.  All is not lost for the Yotes.  Umude is still someone that can go for 40 and carry a team to a championship, but if USD is going to have a legit chance, the supporting cast is going to have to step up and chip in.  WIU finished the season on a better note than they started and they might have found a little spark.  They have the tools to pull off the upset, but be wary of a team that can rally around a fallen teammate. 

Sunday:

#3 NDSU vs #6 KC

The Bison are the late game on Sunday and they drew possibly the team that no one wanted to play in the Roos.  Their defensive style will make it tough on any team and any team will be prepared for a 40 minute war.  If there was a team that could handle it, it would be the Bison.   NDSU is looking for a 3 peat and if they can get past the Roos, they have a favorable path back to Tuesday Night.   

The Fallen:

Denver:  Sadly, like every year, one team doesn't get the join the party.  This year it was the Pioneers of Denver.  They failed to win a game against the Mavs last weekend and that was enough to send them home.  This was also curtains for Rodney Billups as he was fired this week.  This has also started the transfer portal as Jase Townsend and Sam Hines Jr have announced they are in the portal.  It will be interesting to see who ends up the next coach at DU

The Call:

ORU is a team that can not only win the whole thing in Sioux Falls, but could make a little noise in the tournament.  They also are capable of laying an egg in Round 1.  UNDs big questions is that they have had 15 days off... do they come out rusty?  With a team like ORU, they cannot do that.  Abmas and Obanor will be tough, but two things are different in this matchup compared to the first time.  First, RJ Glasper is not playing and he was a great third option that killed UND both nights.  Second, UND will have Ihenacho:  Another guy to guard Max and to run the show.  To me, it comes down to this:  Can UND shoot well enough to win?  I think the good UND shows up and does just enough to get the win.

UND 76-72

Game is on Midco and ESPN+

 

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