Florida Atlantic defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament to secure their spot in the Sweet 16. Johnell Davis scored 29 points, and Alijah Martin added 14 for the Owls to end the Knights’ magical March after they upset top-seeded Purdue in the first round. FDU’s Demetre Roberts scored 20 points, and Sean Moore added 14, but their efforts were not enough to push the Knights past the Owls. The game was played at a high speed, and at times looked more like a playground pickup game. FAU finally took control late in the second half and secured the win. FAU will face Tennessee in the next round on Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York. FDU’s bid to become the first No. 16 to win twice in the tournament fell short. NCAA Tournament, Florida Atlantic, Fairleigh Dickinson, March Madness, and Sweet 16 are among the most important keywords that directly relate to the article’s content and can help it rank higher in search engines.
Florida Atlantic Advances to Sweet 16 After Beating Fairleigh Dickinson
Florida Atlantic secured its spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after outlasting Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Sunday night in Columbus, Ohio. Johnell Davis led the Owls with 29 points, while Alijah Martin added 14 to end the Knights’ stunning run in the tournament.
The ninth-seeded FAU faced a tough challenge from the 16th seed FDU, who shocked top-seeded Purdue on Friday night, marking the second-ever 16-over-1 upset in men’s tournament history. Despite the Knights’ efforts, the Owls managed to take control of the game in the second half, securing the victory and a place in the Sweet 16.
Florida Atlantic, which edged Memphis in the first round for its first NCAA tourney win in school history, will face Tennessee in the next round on Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Davis, a junior from Gary, Indiana, expressed his gratitude toward his team after the game, saying, “My team just believed in me. It’s just a dream come true.”
FDU’s Demetre Roberts scored 20 points, and Sean Moore added 14, but their efforts were not enough to push the Knights past the Owls. FDU’s coach, Tobin Anderson, and players thanked their fans after the game, most of whom never expected to witness their team make history.
FAU’s Bryan Greenlee knocked down a 3-pointer that extended the Owls’ lead to 10 points after Davis fought for a rebound and made a putback, which helped FAU pull away from FDU. While Roberts missed a layup, Greenlee missed two free throws, but FDU failed to capitalize on the opportunity, allowing FAU to maintain its lead.
FDU’s bid to become the first No. 16 to win twice in the tournament fell short, as UMBC did five years ago, shocking defending champion Virginia and then losing to Kansas State in the second round.
Despite FAU’s victory, the game ended with an awkward exchange and tense postgame handshake between Anderson and Owls coach Dusty May after Martin attempted and missed a 360-degree dunk, leading to a dispute between the coaches.
May apologized for the incident, saying, “I apologized to him for that but also reminded him we’re the adults. We’ve got to fix that behavior. It’s part of the game. I apologized to him.”
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