Florida Atlantic defeated Memphis 66-65 in the NCAA Tournament, securing their first tournament win in school history. The game was close throughout, and Nicholas Boyd’s last-second shot will be remembered by fans as the winning shot. Memphis’ Kendric Davis was hobbled by a leg injury and got into a shouting match with teammate Malcolm Dandridge during the game. DeAndre Williams added 13 points for Memphis, playing most of the second half with four fouls. The game saw few successful three-point attempts, with neither team making more than two.
Florida Atlantic, who won the Conference USA title, qualified for the tournament for the second time in their history. They will move to the American Athletic Conference next season, where they will face Memphis annually. Memphis, on the other hand, was left devastated by the loss, despite leading for most of the second half.
Florida Atlantic’s men’s basketball team made history by securing its first NCAA Tournament win, defeating Memphis 66-65 in a close game. Nicholas Boyd, a second-year guard, drove to the basket through traffic and made a floater with only 2.5 seconds left in the game to make the winning shot. Boyd’s shot, off an inbounds pass from Johnell Davis, will be forever remembered by Florida Atlantic fans. The Owls, the ninth seed in the East Region, only made their second trip to the tournament, and the first since 2002. They will now face No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, who pulled off a surprise upset against top-seeded Purdue, in the second round.
The Tigers, coached by Penny Hardaway and seeded eighth, were ahead by one point with 19 seconds left, but a steal by Brandon Weatherspoon and a jump ball gave the Owls an opportunity. Boyd asked coach Dusty May to allow him to take the go-ahead shot during a timeout. The Owls felt that Memphis was going to focus on their two leading scorers, Davis and Alijah Martin, so they decided to use them as a decoy and let Boyd take the shot. Boyd said he caught the ball in the corner, planning to shoot a three-pointer, but the defender jumped for the shot fake. Vlad Goldin had a great seal, which enabled Boyd to get to the rim, and he made the game-winning shot.
Giancarlo Rosado led the Owls with 15 points, while Davis had 12. Florida Atlantic’s players were thrilled with their historic win, but they also emphasized that they are not finished yet. They did not come to the tournament to win one or two games; they came to win the whole thing. Half of the season, they were a Top 25 program, and they believe they are supposed to be there. Meanwhile, Hardaway was frustrated by his team’s loss, saying that they needed just one stop to win the game. He threw a water bottle in frustration after the game ended. The Owls and their fans will now look forward to their next game in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite Kendric Davis being hobbled by a second-half leg injury and getting into a shouting match with teammate Malcolm Dandridge, Memphis lost to Florida Atlantic 66-65. Davis scored 16 points, and DeAndre Williams added 13 points, playing most of the second half with four fouls, including a tip-in that put Memphis ahead 65-64 with 34 seconds remaining.
Florida Atlantic won the Conference USA title to qualify for the tournament for the second time, 21 years after their first appearance. They will move to the American Athletic Conference next season, where they will face Memphis annually. Memphis led for most of the second half but couldn’t pull away, leaving Davis and his teammates devastated.
The game saw few successful three-point attempts, with neither team making more than two. Florida Atlantic was 8 for 28, while Memphis was 6 for 22 from beyond the arc. The teams attempted only five 3-pointers in the second half as the game stayed close.
For more AP March Madness coverage, including the bracket and the AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll, visit https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and follow https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
