3/14/2025 | Men’s Basketball | Box Score
FT WORTH, Texas. – The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team was eliminated from the American Athletic Conference Tournament with an 83-76 loss to Tulane in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
In a tightly contested matchup, the No. 5 seed Owls (18-15) came up short after rallying to hold a lead over the No. 4 seed Green Wave (19-13) until three minutes remaining.
After winning Player of the Game the previous day, freshman center Matas Vokietaitis tied his career-high in points with 21 and added his first collegiate double-double with 12 rebounds to lead the way for FAU.
FIRST HALF
Vokietaitis picked up right where he left off with nine of the team’s first 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
It did not take long for the Owls to find their shooting touch, with redshirt senior guard Ken Evans Jr. and graduate guard KyKy Tandy each connecting on their first attempts. A 12-0 run by FAU turned a six-point deficit into a six-point lead, highlighted by two triples from sophomore forward Kaleb Glenn.
The Green Wave responded with a run of their own to take a five-point lead 32-27 at halftime.
SECOND HALF
After trailing by as much as nine, redshirt freshman guard Devin Vanterpool led a comeback charge with 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting coming in the second half alone. Vokietaitis scored six straight points to give the Owls a lead.
Tulane tied it up at 74 on a dunk with 2:45 remaining and took a two-point lead on ensuing free throws. Another Green Wave bucket put them up by four, with the Owls unable to convert down the stretch.
POSTGAME PRESSER
GALLERY
Gallery: (3-14-2025) Florida Atlantic vs. Tulane
STATS & NOTES
- Vokietaitis went 16-for-19 from the field during the two games in the tournament. His 12 rebounds are a career-high and tie the most by an Owl this season.
- 12 points from Vanterpool is the first double-digit scoring outing of his career. He is the ninth FAU player to do so this season.
- Junior guard Leland Walker dished out a team-high seven assists
- The Owls committed a season-low four turnovers.
- On the defensive end, the Owls had five blocks. They recorded 35 in the last five games.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
Florida Atlantic’s 2024-25 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
