Florida Atlantic continues its amazing run
Florida Atlantic guards Bryan Greenlee, Brandon Weatherspoon and Alijah Martin react after the team defeated Tennessee in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
The greatest season in Florida Atlantic basketball history has claimed another victim.
The ninth-seeded Owls out of Conference USA played a brilliant second half and stunned fourth-seeded Tennessee, 62-55, in an NCAA East Regional semifinal on Thursday night before 19,624 at Madison Square Garden.
FAU (34-3), playing in the NCAA Tournament for only the second time, advanced to its first Elite Eight. It will try to extend its improbable run when it faces third-seeded Kansas State in Saturday’s 6:09 p.m. regional final at the Garden for a spot in the Final Four.
The Volunteers (25-11) held a five-point lead at halftime, but the Owls wrested control of the game with an 18-2 burst in which 6-1 Michael Forrest scored eight points, including a pair of three-pointers to grab a 51-41 lead with 6:47 left.
Shortly after celebrating with a leap to the press table in front of the FAU fans, Nick Boyd was asked about the sound of “Elite Eight’’ and replied, “It sounds just right, man. We’re where we’re supposed to be . . . I can’t count us out [any]more. We’re here to stay and we’re going to keep fighting no matter who we line up against.”
Johnell Davis scored 15 points, Boyd 12 and Forrest 11 for FAU, which held Tennessee to 35.5% shooting in the second half. Josiah-Jordan James and Jonas Aidoo each scored 10 for the Vols.
“Our guys really believe in what we do, and when it’s not working, they don’t panic,” Owls coach Dusty May said. “They just stay the course and trust over the course of 40 minutes . . . we’re going to figure it out.”
After 34 wins, the Owls bristle at the suggestion that they look out of place. “I don’t feel like we’re a Cinderella — we proved that tonight,” Boyd said. “I know we’re undersized, we’re small . . . I’m not the strongest guy. [Forrest] is not the tallest guy. But we play hard and we play with heart.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
