The story on Sunday night should have been Florida Atlantic’s gigantic win over Farleigh Dickinson to advance to its first Sweet 16 in program history. However, an unsuccessful attempt at showboating by FAU’s Alijah Martin will grab most of the headlines.
With the Owls up by eight in the final seconds, the Knights waved the white flag, sagging off on defense. Instead of letting the clock tick to zero, Martin decided to go for an uncontested windmill dunk, which clanked off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Whether or not the intent was to disrespect FDU, they certainly took it that way, and few would blame them. Luckily, FAU head coach Dusty May may have settled things before they got out of hand, as he appeared to apologize to FDU coach Tobin Anderson in the handshake line.
For some, there’s no coming back from breaking one of the dreaded unwritten rules of sports. However, despite all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the NCAA Tournament, it’s important to remember that these guys are kids who make mistakes. And, unlike most, Martin’s blunder happened with millions watching, so he probably deserves a break.
Lost in Martin’s antics was the game itself. Sunday night’s battle between FAU and FDU was arguably one of the best games of the entire tournament thus far.
The Owls led by seven at halftime, but the Knights hung around for most of the second half. FDU trailed by only three, 67-64, with 2:22 left, but an FAU 7-0 run ended any comeback hopes. Ultimately, the Owls walked away with an eight-point win, 78-70, punching their ticket to the Round of 16.
Johnell Davis led the Owls’ attack, recording a game-high 29 points with 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Meanwhile, Martin finished second in scoring for FDU, posting 14 in the victory.
The No. 9-seeded Owls move onto the Sweet 16, where they’ll likely be underdogs against No. 4 Tennesse, who knocked off No. 5 Duke on Saturday.
