KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The No. 19 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (4-1) is moving on to the championship round of the ESPN Events Invitational after taking down No. 12 Texas A&M (5-1) by a score of 96-89 on Friday afternoon.
It was another Owls classic, with multiple players stepping up to their physical and challenging opponent and the team continuing to find different ways to win.
Florida Atlantic had another efficient shooting afternoon, this time with a season-best day from three-point range. The Owls hit 16 of their 30 attempts, six of them coming from junior guard Johnell Davis, a career-high, and five from junior guard Alijah Martin.
The dynamic duo of Davis and Martin was on full display throughout. Davis finished with 26 points and Martin scored 25, marking the first time both scored 20+ points in the same game.
FIRST HALF
Much like the previous win against Butler, the Owls opened up the game by attacking the paint, but they would soon rediscover their three-point shot.
Martin and Davis combined for 31 points on 12-18 shooting and were responsible for all seven of the Owls’ makes from beyond the arc in the half.
An 18-3 run, a three-point deficit turned into a 12-point Owls lead. The Aggies would close the gap to two points, with FAU holding a 46-44 lead at halftime.
SECOND HALF
The Owls continued to fire away from downtown at the start of the second frame, with Jalen Gaffney knocking down consecutive three-pointers followed by Davis going back-to-back to give him five three-pointers, he would finish the night with a career-high six.
FAU’s lead grew to 18, the largest of the afternoon, but the Aggies remained relentless in their pursuit, once again bringing the score within single digits.
Thanks to timely moments such as key buckets by senior guard Bryan Greenlee and a monster block by junior forward Vlad Goldin with just under three minutes to go, the Owls held on. Also key was a strong night at the line: Florida Atlantic shot 23 free throws and made 20 of them, only one of the misses coming in the second half.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Dusty May
“I am extremely proud of the contribution that so many guys on our roster made, especially being so short-handed. Over the course of the season, we talk a lot as a group that you have to find so many different ways to win and today was another example. We are normally an excellent rebounding team despite our size. Texas A&M, credit to them, their relentless approach on the glass was impressive, so today we had to find different ways to win and offset a couple of magnificent individual performances out of those guys. But our guys stuck together and found a way to win.”
Junior Guard Alijah Martin
“I have just been trying to stay patient. Thanks to my teammates for always believing in me and getting me extra shots, because if I am feeling good, we are all going to feel good.”
STATS & NOTES
- Martin achieved his season high in points (16) in the first half alone. Davis and Martin are the first Owls of the season to score 20+ in a game
- Gaffney and Greenlee added 12 points, while Brandon Weatherspoon and Goldin both scored 10, giving the Owls six double-digit scorers for the second game in a row
- Greenlee scored 10 of his 12 in the second half, including the final two free throws with nine seconds to go to officially put the game out of reach
- The Owls have now scored 90+ points in three out of the opening five games
- 53% from three-point range (16-30) and 87% from the free throw line (20-23) are both season highs
- FAU continued to spread the ball around, winning the assist battle 18-8
- Florida Atlantic once again took advantage of other teams’ mistakes, outscoring Texas A&M 23-6 on points off turnovers
- Goldin adds to his name 10 career games with at least three blocks
UP NEXT
The Owls will participate in the ESPN Events Invitational Championship on Sunday afternoon, facing off against the winner of the Iowa State/Virginia Tech game. The championship game will be aired on ESPN and tip-off at 1 p.m. EST.
For tickets, click here
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