BOCA RATON (FAUSports.com) –Alijah Martin scored a career-best 34 points and the Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team held off a second-half rally to defeat FIU 84-76 Satruday afternoon at FAU Arena.
Martin’s 34 points were the most for an Owl since Cornelius Taylor scored 34 against Rice more than two years ago. Martin was 11-of-17 from the field, including a 5-of-9 mark from 3-point range and a thunderous second-half dunk. Martin also grabbed a team-best six rebounds.
“He was aggressive. He came up with some big loose balls,” FAU head coach Dusty May said, crediting Martin’s intangible contributions to the victory as well as his scoring. “He made 3-pointers, he was getting to the rim. He just continues to grow and improve and he’s turned into a special player.”
FAU (18-13, 11-7 CUSA) needed every one of Martin’s contributions, as FIU looked to erase a 21-point halftime deficit. FAU led 50-29 at halftime, but the Panthers shot 56 percent in the second half and held the Owls to under 30 percent shooting and climbed all the way back within one possession. With just 88 seconds remaining in the game, a Clevon Brown dunk cut the FIU (15-16, 5-13 CUSA) deficit to just two points, 76-74. It was still two points with 1:11 remaining.
But the Owls got a couple huge stops and made six-of-six from the free throw line over the final 71 seconds to hold on for the victory. Martin made the first two at the line, while Greenlee made the final four. Greenlee scored 17 points, including 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and a pair of 3-pointers. Giancarlo Rosado scored 12 points off the bench, going 5-of-7 from the field.
FAU’s 50-point first half was its largest first-half offensive output of the season. The Owls were on fire in the first half, shooting over 63 percent from the field and nearly 47 percent from 3-point range.
The victory sent three seniors who were honored before the game – Everett Winchester, Bitumba Baruti and Brant Ulmer – out as winners in their final contest at The Burrow. It also continued a season where the Owls have clinched a winning season for the fourth year in a row, a first in program history. The win also secured a program-best 11 wins in Conference USA action.
The Owls now await matchups for the Conference USA Championship Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Frisco, Texas. FAU will be the No. 3 seed out of the East Division and will play at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
