NEW YORK — Dusty May’s staff did not see itself as an underdog, so his gamers would not admit to it all through the month of March, however Cinderella’s slipper match Florida Atlantic flawlessly.
If not underdogs, what do the Final Four-bound Owls favor to be referred to as?
“We (are) some pit bulls and Rottweilers, you know?” Alijah Martin mentioned.
“They can say what they want, say we’re a Cinderella team, say we don’t belong,” Bryan Greenlee added, “but we’ve constantly proven people wrong all season.”
Now the ninth-seeded Owls are headed to their first Final Four in simply their second-ever NCAA Tournament look after toppling third-seeded Kansas State 79-76 on Saturday within the East Region last at Madison Square Garden.
Martin scored 17 factors, Greenlee scored 16 and Michael Forrest made 4 pivotal free throws on the finish of the sport. Vladislav Goldin posted 14 factors and 13 rebounds and Johnell Davis had 13 factors and eight rebounds as FAU had an infinite 44-22 rebounding benefit (14 offensive).
FAU (35-3) will face both fifth-seeded San Diego State or sixth-seeded Creighton, who play Sunday within the South Region last. The Owls will head to Houston on an 11-game profitable streak.
FAU is the third No. 9 seed ever to make the Final Four, becoming a member of 2013 Wichita State and 1979 Penn, and the ninth staff seeded No. 9 or decrease to go this far.
This was the primary match journey for May, the fifth-year head coach who received his begin as an Indiana pupil supervisor below Bob Knight.
“In this era where everyone wants the whole pie, these guys continued sharing the pie every single day, and this was the result,” May mentioned. “Couldn’t be more proud of a group who did it really together every single day.”
Star guard Markquis Nowell scored 30 factors and dished 12 assists for Kansas State (26-10). Nae’Qwan Tomlin had 14 factors and Keyontae Johnson scored 9 earlier than fouling out.
Greenlee, who went 4-for-6 from the arc, drilled his fourth 3-pointer to slice the deficit in half at 60-57 with 9:04 left. Nowell responded by banking in his fourth 3 of the night time on the different finish, however Kansas State wouldn’t make a discipline aim for the following 6:52 of sport time.
FAU scored the following 10 factors, Goldin giving the Owls the lead for good at 64-63 with a rebound and dunk.
“I feel like that shot gave us a little momentum, but I don’t feel like we got the defensive stops that we really needed,” Nowell mentioned. “I don’t feel like we got key rebounds that we really needed. And give a lot of credit to FAU for getting every single 50-50 ball.”
During a primary half with eight lead modifications and 5 ties, FAU used a 12-2 run to determine a six-point lead. The 7-foot-1 Goldin obtained the ball down low on 4 straight possessions, leading to a dunk, a layup, an help and two foul pictures. The Owls led 42-38 at halftime.
Johnson, Ok-State’s prime scorer and rebounder, sat many of the last 12 minutes of the primary half with two fouls however opened the second half with two buckets. He did not final lengthy, subbing out with 4 fouls with 14:10 to go and taking part in simply 18 minutes in all.
Nowell ended the Kansas State taking pictures drought with 1:47 left when his fifth 3-pointer minimize the margin to 72-69. FAU’s Nick Boyd missed the entrance finish of a one-and-one alternative however Martin received the offensive rebound and Davis scored for a five-point edge at 1:17.
Boyd went 1-of-2 on the line once more, and Cam Carter’s pull-up 3-pointer rolled in to deliver Kansas State’s deficit to 75-74 with 24 seconds left.
Kansas State gave its tenth foul and Forrest made each pictures. Tomlin made a reverse layup to chop it again to at least one, however Forrest hit two extra free throws and the Wildcats did not get a shot off within the last 6.9 seconds.
“Once I saw the first one drop, I knew the second was gonna drop,” Forrest mentioned amid the jubilant postgame locker room. “And if I had to shoot more, I was gonna make them.”
While few noticed FAU’s match success coming, the gamers who’ve caught with May for a number of seasons — like Forrest, a fifth-year senior — have believed for some time.
“I remember when I first committed and I saw my locker, I wrote ‘March Madness’ right on my nameplate, just so every day I could see it and realize that’s my dream, that’s the goal.”
—Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media/Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
