BOCA RATON – The sellout crowd of 3,130 at The Burrow.
Senior Day for FAU Owls decorated guard and Broward County native Michael Forrest.
A final home record of 17-0 in sight.
A Conference USA record of 16-2 in sight.
A potential FAU on-court celebration for the ages in sight.
All of these things – and more – were never much in doubt today (Feb. 25) for the FAU men’s basketball program that was ranked in the Associated Press and USA Today national Top 25 for a few weeks this season.
FAU sophomore guard Alijah Martin led all scores with 21 points, along with three rebounds, in 23 minutes of action.
Scoring 12 straight points himself and 14 of his team’s 17 points early in the second half – three three-pointer, two layups, and one free throw – Martin led the Owls (26-3; 17-2 in Conference USA) to a 75-49 win at home over the UTEP Miners (13-16; 6-12 C-USA).
Three other Owls scored in double figures:
•Sophomore guard Johnell Davis – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist in 29 minutes
•Forest – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in 25 minutes
•Junior guard Brandon Weatherspoon – 10 points, 3 rebounds in 18 minutes
The Owls rebound leader was sophomore center Vladislav Goldin with nine total. He added four points and one assist in 19 minutes.
The Owls assist leader was junior guard Jalen Gaffney with three total. He added three points and one rebound in 16 minutes.
With the 26-point margin of victory, the Owls celebrated their first and only Conference USA regular season title after the final buzzer in style.
FAU has two regular season games left – both of which are on the road. They are:
•Thursday, March 2 at 8 p.m. EST – Rice (17-12; 8-10 C-USA)
•Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m. EST – Louisiana Tech (13-16; 6-12 C-USA)
NOTE: After the regular season, FAU will be playing for an NCAA Tournament spot in the Conference USA Tournament, which will be held from March 8-11 in Frisco, Tx.
