KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The No. 19 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (5-1) has conquered Disney World, winning the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational after taking down Virginia Tech (5-2) in the championship game, 84-50, on Sunday afternoon.
In a field of eight teams, six who had made the previous NCAA Tournament, the Owls were the last team standing, ultimately winning in dominant fashion after an eight-point halftime lead turned into a 34-point blowout in which FAU never trailed.
Florida Atlantic was sparked by a 19-0 run from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second as well as an additional 22-2 run that blew the doors wide open for FAU to win the tournament.
It was another well-balanced effort with four players with double-digit points, led by junior guard Alijah Martin with 17 and junior forward Vlad Goldin scoring 14 on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting night.
Martin was named the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational MVP.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura
FIRST HALF
The Owls began to pull away slightly in the highly contested first half after junior forward Giancarlo Rosado, making his first appearance of the tournament, scored back-to-back baskets.
Both teams went almost the first 13 minutes without a three-pointer before senior guard Brandon Weatherspoon broke the drought. He would then add another one to keep the Florida Atlantic lead.
With the lead at just one point, the Owls closed the half on a 7-0 run to enter the locker room up 32-24, highlighted by a lane-clearing slam dunk by Martin and a fastbreak layup by Goldin.
SECOND HALF
The offense continued to heat up out of the break. The 7-0 run from the previous half turned into a 19-0 run, with Davis and Martin knocking down consecutive threes and Goldin and senior guard Jalen Gaffney scoring inside.
Then came 22-2. Six different Owls logged a bucket in a seven-minute stretch that grew the lead to as much as 37. The run included three-pointers by Martin, who went 3-4 on the day and key plays on both ends of the floor by senior guard Bryan Greenlee, who finished the day with 10 points and a team-high three steals.
Over the course of the period, the Owls shot 65% from the field and 50% from downtown while outscoring the Hokies 52-26.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Dusty May
“Extremely proud to bounce back after a tough week and come to a prestigious event like this and perform at the level our guys performed at with the unselfishness that they did. It is such a unique group where after the game if you asked me who were the three or four leading scorers of your team, I would have to look at a stat sheet. These guys are consumed with playing basketball the right way. They are a joy to coach and a joy to watch. Even though we had a road bump, these guys were unphased by that because it is all about the next thing. They always respond like this. Onto the next.”
Junior guard Alijah Martin
“Our coaching staff got us ready and prepared. We studied their defense and came into it with a great gameplan, taking what they gave us.”
STATS & NOTES
- In the past three games, the Owls shot 54.2% from the field. If this rate kept up over the course of the season, it would rank third nationwide
- Over the tournament, Martin averaged a team-high 18.3 points per game. He was named MVP of the tournament
- Goldin could not miss over the last three games, going 15-for-17 from the field
- Gaffney tallied season highs in both rebounds (6) and assists (6). He finishes the tournament averaging 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists
- Winning the battle of the boards equals winning the ballgame. The Owls’ massive 40-29 rebounding advantage moves them to 33-0 over the last two seasons when they outrebound their opponent. On the afternoon, four players recorded at least five rebounds: Martin (8), Davis (7), Gaffney (6), and Greenlee (5)
- The Owls held the Hokies to just 33% from the field and 2-17 from beyond the arc
- No matter where they were shooting from, Florida Atlantic found a way to score. 48 of their points came from the paint (outscoring VA Tech by 16) and the team shot an effective 41% on their three-point attempts
UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic will return to the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena to host the three-team Field of 68 Classic. The Owls will take on Liberty on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. and Charleston on Saturday, Dec. 2.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
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