| COLUMBUS, Ohio. – There is little time to rest for Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team after moving on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.On college basketball’s biggest stage, the Owls showed the world their signature toughness, resiliency, and next man up mentality in their 66-65 win over the Memphis Tigers, clinched by a game-winning driving layup by guard Nick Boyd with just 2.5 seconds on the clock.The win will go down in the March Madness history books. But for now, the Owls are forced to have a short memory as all attention turns to their next opponent.The East region’s No. 9 seed FAU will take on the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Sunday. FDU, just prior to FAU’s game, became only the second No. 16 seed to ever advance to the second round. Like last round, the game will be held at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena, but this time, the Owls will have a slightly earlier tip-off time at 7:45 EST.With a win, Florida Atlantic would continue their Big Dance at the Big Apple. The winner of the Owls’ matchup will face the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet 16, to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. No. 9 Seed Florida Atlantic (32-3) vs. No. 16 Seed FDU (22-15)Game DetailsColumbus, Ohio | March 19 | Nationwide Arena 7:45 p.m. ETGame CoverageWatch: | TruTV | Tickets Listen: FoxSports 640am South Florida | Game Notes Twitter: @FAUMBB |FAU LinksNews | Roster | ScheduleFDU LinksNews | Roster | ScheduleQUOTABLEHead Coach Dusty May On preparing for FDU “We’re excited to be here. We survived and we’re advancing, and really looking forward to playing a very scrappy, tough FDU team tomorrow…FDU is going to be a little like playing us in practice. We’re not the biggest team on paper, when you look at our heights and weights. We’re not the most imposing team. But most of our guys play much bigger than what they are, much like FDU. I see a team that is very similar. We like to think of ourselves as scrappy, tough, aggressive, and they’re able to put four or five shooters on the floor at any moment. And that’s the same thing we try to do. It’s going to come down to which team is more connected and makes the timely plays.”Senior Guard Michael Forrest On Playing in His First Ever NCAA Tournament “Just coming out of the tunnel and looking out and onto the court and seeing the environment, it was really like a dream come true. Like as a kid growing up, you always dream about being on the big stage. During warm-ups I thought ‘dang, I’m actually on the court doing what I’ve dreamed doing.’ It was an amazing feeling.” NEWS & NOTESSeveral Owls stepped up to the plate in the Memphis win, with four players hitting double digit points. Giancarlo Rosado was the top dog in scoring for the first time this season, with 15 points on a perfect 5-5 from the fieldJohnell Davis came in clutch in the second half, dropping 10 of his 12 points, including two consecutive triples with under five minutes to goWith a team-high four assists in the opening round win, Boyd is now tied with Jalen Gaffney for total on the season with 85 apieceAfter outrebounding Memphis, the Owls are now 26-0 when they win the battle of the boardsThe 66-65 win was the first game decided by one point for FAU this seasonThe Owls will have to contain the Knights junior forward Sean Moore, who has been on a recent hot streak. Despite only averaging 7.1 points on the season, Moore was the top scorer in the team’s upset over Purdue, dropping 19 pointsGrad student guard Demetre Roberts has been the top player for FDU, averaging 16.5 pointsFOLLOW FAU ON SOCIAL MEDIATo stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB. |
