The Seawanhaka Sports Rundown is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in sports news at the local, state, and national, and international level.
By: OSCAR FOCK / NEWS CO-EDITOR
Women’s Water Polo Team Extend Win Streak to Five
In four match-ups this weekend, the LIU women’s water polo team came away with four wins. The victories came in different fashion: the first was a blowout against Villanova, where the Sharks got out to an early lead and never looked back, winning 14-7; the second game, against the La Salle Explorers, was a nailbiter that LIU took home 12-11 after scoring with less than a minute remaining. The final two also included one tight victory and one more convincing victory, the former against the Gaels of Iona and the latter against the Virginia Military Institute. The four wins meant that the Sharks are now 19-5 on the season and 8-1 in conference play.
LeBron James and the Lakers Eliminated From Playoff Contention
It was their last chance. A win against the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers still had a chance to make the NBA playoffs, at least mathematically. But it didn’t happen. WIth LeBron James sidelined with an ankle injury, the Suns took advantage and won 110-121, sending the Lakers into an early vacation. This was the second time that the Lakers missed the playoffs since James joined the team in 2018, and the seventh time in nine years that the team has lost out on a chance to play for the championship. That is two more than in the entire history of the Lakers prior to this nine-year stretch, beginning in the 2013-14 season.
Tiger Woods Back For Another Masters
The U.S. Masters began this week at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Among the competitors was, to the surprise of many, Tiger Woods. Only a little over a year ago, Woods was in a car crash so serious doctors considered amputating his leg. As recently as in February, Woods announced at a press conference that he would never play golf “full-time” again. Yet, when round one of the Masters began on Thursday, Woods was out there. And in one of the most impressive feats of his long and decorated career, Woods defied the odds to go one under par for a solid 71. On Friday, however, Woods struggled to the tune of four bogeys on the first nine holes. As of writing this article it is uncertain whether Woods will make the final cut, but no matter how it goes, Woods’ comeback is as impressive as it is improbable.
South Carolina, Kansas win N.C.A.A. Basketball Championships
March Madness ended on Monday, April 4 (the women’s final was played the day before), with the men’s final, a thriller between the Kansas Jayhawks and the North Carolina Tar heels. Kansas rallied from 15 points behind at halftime to win 72-69, bringing home the school’s first championship since 2008. On the Women’s side, the South Carolina Gamecocks beat UConn 64-49, with a stout defense that proved too much to handle for UConn. It was the second title in school history for the Gamecocks, and the win also broke UConn’s streak of 11 straight national championship wins.
Real Madrid’s Benzema Scores Second Hat Trick in as Many Games
A few weeks after knocking Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League in the round of 16 with a hat trick, France star striker Karim Benzema was at it again when Real Madrid visited Chelsea on Wednesday, April 6. WIth three goals in the span of 25 minutes, Benzema continued an already terrific season, while also putting Real Madrid in the driver’s seat to advance to the semifinals. Chelsea, last year’s European champion, on the other hand, now has an uphill battle if they want to move on. The second leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu in one week.
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