NEW YORK (AP) — When the horn sounded on the finest victory in the background of Florida Atlantic athletics, Nick Boyd and Bryan Greenlee hopped onto the press row desk to celebrate.
In its place of going to the locker home, some of the Owls gamers created their way up into the stands to sing “New York, New York” with their fans.
The Boca Raton, Florida-centered university that has only been competing in Division I for the very last 30 a long time, and experienced just a person former visual appearance in the NCAA Tournament, is now a victory absent from the Remaining Four.
The Owls utilized a second-50 % press led by Michael Forrest to upset fourth-seeded Tennessee 62-55 on Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
Ninth-seeded FAU (34-3) will play third-seeded Kansas State in the East Region final at Madison Square Backyard garden on Saturday.
“Yeah, our men absolutely experience like they belong on this stage,” fifth-12 months coach Dusty Could claimed.
Even prior to the event started out, this was the unquestionably the biggest period in FAU historical past. Now the Owls are a single of the biggest stories in all of sports activities.
“We’re just a scrappy team,” Boyd claimed. “Unbreakable.”
Johnell Davis led the Conference Usa champions with 15 points and Forrest completed with 11, such as 8 straight when FAU took control in the ultimate 10 minutes.
The Volunteers (25-11), who ended up hunting for the next Elite Eight visual appeal in program heritage, shot just 33% — like 6 of 23 from 3-place selection. Josiah-Jordan James and Jonas Aidoo scored 10 details apiece.
“Certainly happy of the energy that these men have presented us all 12 months, through rough periods with injuries, but when it finishes like this, it is usually disappointing simply because we want it all and came up small,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes explained.
Barnes has created 27 NCAA appearances with 4 schools, but he has achieved the Elite 8 only a few occasions and absent to 1 Closing Four.
The activity was slogging together at Tennessee’s design and speed. The No. 1 defense in the region, in accordance to KemPom metrics, out of the rugged Southeastern Convention was building FAU perform really hard for pictures.
Then the Owls started off hitting the 3-tips they experienced been missing for a lot of the to start with 30 minutes.
“We received great photographs even in the initial 50 percent when they were in us a very little bit,” Boyd reported. “The 2nd fifty percent, they dropped, we broke it open up a small little bit.”
Forrest designed consecutive 3s to put FAU up 41-39 with 9:49 still left, the Owls’ initial direct considering that the opening minute.
Forrest capped a particular 8- operate with driving layup that set the Owls up 4.
Meanwhile, Tennessee could not invest in a bucket. The Vols had a six-moment stretch during which they scored 4 points.
“Obviously we skipped open up photographs, they skipped open shots. But we were disappointed in the way we played. We realized we had to perform harder, but we have been up 5 details, so …” James claimed, trailing off.
Brandon Weatherspoon’s putback of a 3-place miss out on off the aspect of the backboard designed it 51-41 with 6:47 left.
The Vols had a person a lot more press still left. James swished a 3 with 3:33 left to minimize the Owls’ guide to 55-50.
The Owls turned up the defense, getting a essential stop that led to a fast-crack layup by Boyd to put FAU up 57-50 with 2:31 left.
The Owls salted it away with no cost throws from there, as the orange-clad Vols supporters emptied out of MSG and the outnumbered FAU fans took around.
Owls lovers serenaded May’s wife, Anna, with an “F-A-U!” chant prior to finally filing out of The Backyard garden.
May possibly had as opposed Tennessee’s defensive physicality to rugby in the run-up to the game. He meant it as a compliment, and his Owls confirmed they could enjoy difficult, also.
“We sense like we’re actual physical as perfectly,” Boyd stated.
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FAU: The Owls outrebounded the greater Vols 40-36, together with 12 offensive rebounds that they turned into 14 next-probability factors.
“We know we’re not the tallest team,” 7-foot-1 heart Vlad Goldin reported. “So we know we have to be quick to the ball. We have to be actual physical. We have to raise our physicality. But it is not something to be worried of.”
Tennessee: The Vols were challenged offensively substantially of the period, and grew to become even a lot more limited when they shed stage guard Zakai Zeigler.
Zeigler blew out his suitable knee in opposition to Arkansas on the last working day of February, but there was no way the Lengthy Island indigenous was missing a excursion back again to New York. Zeigler was on the sideline, making use of a scooter to roll on to the courtroom at situations to be part of workforce huddles and provide encouragement.
Tennessee went 7-8 from Feb. 1 to the end of the season.
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