The FAU Owls are headed to the Sweet 16, and what had been one of the best games in the tournament had a slightly sour ending.
FAU and FDU weren’t supposed to go this far. A No. 16 seed vs a No. 9 seed for a spot in the Sweet 16 isn’t how the script was written, but going off-script makes for the best tournaments.
The Owls and Knights played a back-and-forth game, battling hard in the paint, and launching some heroic three-point shots that had fans at the Nationwide Arena on their feet almost constantly.
In the end, the Owls got the best of the plucky Knights, and what had been a beautiful game up to the final buzzer took a slightly, but not terrible, sour look.
As the final seconds of the game approached, FDU coach Tobin Anderson realized that committing further fouls would not change the eventual outcome of the game and instructed his team not to foul on the Owls’ last possession.
When that happens, decorum dictates that the team on offense dribbles the ball out until the buzzer sounds.
Florida Atlantic’s Alijah Martin had other ideas and thought it would be a great idea to showboat with a 360-dunk, Dominique Wilkins style, as he dribbled the ball toward the basket. Thankfully, the dunk attempt was unsuccessful, but the damage had been done and the boos began to fill the arena.
THE OWLS ADVANCE TO THEIR FIRST EVER SWEET 16 🦉#MarchMadness @FAUMBB pic.twitter.com/4XpxGZR8CW
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2023
Almost Immediately, announcers Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas began to lament the decision by Martin and expressed their own disapproval.
As players passed each other and shook hands, it was apparent that some of the FDU team also expressed their feelings about Martin’s “look at me” moment.
Thankfully, FAU head coach Dustin May also recognized the poor decision by his player and apologized to FDU head coach Tobin Anderson as the two shook hands following the game. May confirmed his apology to sideline reporter Jamie Erdah in his postgame interview.
No harm, no foul? Well, I’m sure coach May will have a few “foul” words for Alijah Martin in the locker room.