ORU Students Thrilled For Team’s Unexpected NCAA Tourney Cinderella Run

While the team was playing in Indianapolis, Golden Eagle fans back home at the Mabee Center were cheering them on at a watch party.

Monday, March 22nd 2021, 5:45 pm

By: Matt Rahn

TULSA, Okla. -

ORU punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 after taking a bite out of the Florida Gators Sunday night in the NCAA tournament.

Students on campus are thrilled to watch their team’s success on the national level. While the team was playing in Indianapolis, Golden Eagle fans back home at the Mabee Center were cheering them on at a watch party.

"The whole crowd just went crazy and then we started playing music and it was just an experience that you would never forget," said ORU senior Christine Carter.

Carter, along with hundreds of her classmates, watched anxiously Sunday night as the men's basketball team secured a spot in the Sweet 16. She said it was one of the best moments of her time at ORU.

"We may not have been in the arena with them, but we still felt just as connected, and we were still just as hyped, maybe even more hyped," Carter said.

Joseph Jurkovich was at the watch party too and said this unexpected March Madness journey has brought the school closer together.

“Whenever we win, everybody goes nuts. I've never seen this much school spirit and so it's really good for our campus, really exciting," Jurkovich said.

It’s not just students - the entire community is rallying around the team and getting into the excitement.

"Even after the game, some friends and I went to Braum's and just even people that we didn't even know was like did ORU win tonight? and we were like yeah, and they were like that's awesome like that's so cool," said Carter.

Students will be at the Mabee Center again on Saturday for another watch party as the Golden Eagles take on Arkansas. The watch party will also be open to the public.