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Florida Atlantic is meant to be right here, and so they proved it on basketball’s largest
NEW YORK CITY — For 9 minutes and 52 seconds, Madison Sq. Backyard was full of one chant:
“FAU! FAU!”
Senior guard Michael Forrest hit two consecutive three pointers to provide the Owls their first lead since 3-2 within the first half, and from that time on, one thing clicked.
The vitality shifted in Madison Sq. Backyard, the part of FAU followers began to sound much less like a quiet band, and extra like an avalanche, rolling thunderous chants of “FAU”.
Michael Forrest hit a layup to increase the lead.
The gang received louder.
Alijah Martin hit a 3 pointer off a fastbreak.
The gang received even louder.
By the point junior wing Brandon Weatherspoon made a layup to provide the Owls a double digit lead, the group totally flipped to being on the Owls aspect, and so they felt it, using that top to a 62-55 victory to advance one step nearer to a Last 4 berth.
“It[the crowd] energizes them, particularly on the defensive finish,” head coach Dusty Might mentioned after the sport. “It most likely helped us get the basketballs just a little faster, the free balls, the 50/50 balls. As a result of I believed within the second half we had been just a little bit faster to the ball throughout that spurt.”
Offensively, the Owls went into halftime with solely 22 factors, and needing a spark offensively. FAU had shot poorly within the first half, together with a 3-14 efficiency from deep. Who would step up for the Owls once they wanted the spark essentially the most.
In got here Michael Forrest, the one senior within the rotation. The elder statesman of the Owls supplied a activate the bench, happening a 8-0 run by himself, as part of the 18-2 run that gave the Owls the lead because the second half dwindled. It actually may be anybody’s evening for the Owls, and tonight it was Forrest who stepped up. “We’ve received a gaggle of fellows that it doesn’t matter what evening it’s, any person goes to step up and make an enormous play,” Forrest mentioned postgame. “All people stays collectively by the ups and downs, in order that’s actually what separates us.”
Up subsequent for the Owls is Kansas State, with a visit to the Last 4 on the road. The Owls have now been topped as Cinderella, however when you ask sophomore wing Alijah Martin and guard Nick Boyd, they by no means had been. “We really feel like we’re purported to be right here, doing precisely what we’re purported to do,” Martin mentioned.
“I don’t really feel like we’re a Cinderella, we proved that tonight,” Boyd mentioned. “We simply performed good basketball.”
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