ORLANDO, FL.- Florida Atlantic basketball has had a great Thanksgiving break. While most of the student body is enjoying long awaited family time, The Beach Boys are winning.
Play for each other.#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/SZuphixuRd
— Florida Atlantic Men's Basketball (@FAUMBB) November 24, 2023
The #19 ranked Owls faced #12 Texas A&M for the first ranked regular season matchup in program history. Going into this game, everyone knew it would be a shootout. The Owls and the Aggies both have high scoring offenses, which made this game highly anticipated.
FAU came out swinging, as both Brandon Weatherspoon and Alijah Martin opened the game with 4 points before the first media timeout. After the break, Johnell Davis and Bryan Greenlee got onto the scorecard, as Davis knocks down three consecutive 3-pointers and Greenlee makes a contested layup.
π₯ Spoon > Fork pic.twitter.com/9w6Fl8sAGh
— JJ Metz (@JjMetzFAU) November 24, 2023
After a costly technical foul by A&M, FAU capitalizes with a deep corner three from Martin. FAU’s offense beautifully moved the ball, throwing the Aggies through a spin cycle.
Alijah Martin’s takeover activated, draining four consecutive threes to extend FAU’s lead to over twelve points. Martin’s hot hand silenced the Aggie crowd, showing the world why he’s one of the best players in college basketball.
I've never seen someone so good at three in my life before- Alijah Martin has hit 4 threes in the first half, and everyone goes crazy. pic.twitter.com/sKEuSj5pPS
— JJ Metz (@JjMetzFAU) November 24, 2023
Alijah Martin sinks a three and the crowd goes crazy. pic.twitter.com/xnwvdE78n9
— JJ Metz (@JjMetzFAU) November 24, 2023
Unfortunately for FAU, the Aggies didn’t quit, crawling back into this game. At the end of the first half, FAU led Texas A&M 46-44.
Halftime. Let's close it out π
— Florida Atlantic Men's Basketball (@FAUMBB) November 24, 2023
Alijah Martin: 16 points, 4-8 3FG
Johnell Davis: 15 points, 6-7 FG
Jalen Gaffney: 6 points, 3 assists
Presented by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/1MuYI5ACzU
At the beginning of the second half, Jalen Gaffney starts on fire, draining two three pointers. Johnell Davis keeps the three point barrage alive with two more triples.
Best player in the country? I would say so myself. pic.twitter.com/OXJ7HryxVw
— JJ Metz (@JjMetzFAU) November 24, 2023
After a small mid game slump, the Owls bounced back. Bryan Greenlee knocked down another two threes to pump life back into the FAU offense.
Despite keeping things competitive, A&M couldn’t regain the lead. FAU holds on to defeat Texas A&M 96-89. The top 20 Owls improve to 4-1 on the season.
ππππ ππππ ππππ πππ ππππππ!!!!#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/Of95G3bvCN
— Florida Atlantic Men's Basketball (@FAUMBB) November 24, 2023
My Takeaways:
FAU’s 3 point shooting has shown serious improvement since the beginning of the season. After a few game slump, shots were connecting again. As usual, I loved the offensive ball movement. Once again, FAU showed unselfishness by passing three to four times before taking a shot. Because of this, six owls recorded double digit points, and a team total of 18 assists on the day. Defensively, the Owls did a great job protecting the paint, kicking the Aggies out past the arc.
Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis showed why they were named “AAC Pre-Season Co-Player of the Year”, as Martin recorded 25 Points and 7 Rebounds and Davis recorded 26 Points and 3 Assists. Now that this duo is heating up, prepare for more offensive onslaughts.
FAU has advanced to the ESPN Events Invitational Championship. The Owls will face the winner of Iowa State vs Virginia Tech. The finals will tip off on Sunday, November 26 at 1:00 P.M.
COVER PHOTO CREDITS- Christian Proscia
VIDEO CREDITS- JJ Metz
