KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The No. 19 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (4-1) will compete in the championship round of the ESPN Events Invitational against Virginia Tech (5-1) on Sunday afternoon.
The tournament, hosted at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, began with an eight-team field. The Owls are one of the last two teams standing after taking down Butler and No. 12 Texas A&M, averaging 93.5 points along the way.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
| No. 19 Florida Atlantic (4-1) vs. Virginia Tech (5-1) | |
| Game Details | Sunday, Nov. 26 | 1 p.m. (EST) | State Farm Field House | Kissimmee, Fla. |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats | ESPN | Game Notes | Event Hub | Tickets |
| Florida Atlantic Links | Roster | Schedule | News |
| Virginia Tech Links | Roster | Schedule | News |
| Social Media | X | Instagram | Facebook |
OWLS AT THE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONALTo get to the championship, the Owls have taken on formidable opponents and have beaten them in a multitude of ways with several different players stepping up each game.
The 91-86 win over Butler was thanks to efforts inside, with the team scoring 46 of their points in the paint, winning the rebounding battle 37-31, and outscoring the Bulldogs on second-chance points 17-9. Vlad Goldin was the team’s top scorer at 19 points and completed the double-double with 11 boards. Five other Owls scored in double figures, including senior guard Jalen Gaffney (14), junior guard Alijah Martin (13), and redshirt sophomore forward Tre Carroll (11) for the first time of the season, Carroll’s coming in just nine minutes on the court.
With less than a 24-hour turnaround, the Owls rediscovered their three-point shot in the 96-89 win over the No. 12 Aggies, going 16-30 from beyond the arc on the afternoon. Junior guard Johnell Davis led the way with a career-high six triples with Alijah Martin adding five. Davis and Martin showed why they were the AAC Preseason Co-Players of the Year, scoring 26 and 25 points, respectively. They were supplemented by Gaffney scoring in double figures once again with 12 points, and the defensive efforts of Goldin with three blocks.
STATS & NOTES
- In the Owls’ four victories, they are averaging 90.5 points per game, which would rank 10th in the nation
- Goldin has tied his career high of 19 points in three games. He currently leads the team with 14.8 points per game as well as rebounds (6.8)
- Davis is right behind Goldin in both categories with 14.2 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game
- With two games in a row scoring in double figures, Martin is up to 11.6 points per game, third on the team
- Greenlee is ninth among all players in the American Athletic Conference with four assists per game
- The Owls are now 32-0 in the last two seasons in which they win the rebounding battle
UPCOMING
The Owls’ next two matchups will be at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. Florida Atlantic will host the three-team Field of 68 Classic, hosting Liberty on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Charleston on Saturday, Dec. 2.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
