CHAMPS! Florida Atlantic Wins C-USA Championship, Punches Ticket to NCAA Tournament

Saturday, March 11

Frisco, Texas

8:30 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

-313,182 CUSA

UAB

-259,146 CUSA

UAB

Fla. Atlantic

CHAMPS! Florida Atlantic Wins C-USA Championship, Punches Ticket to NCAA Tournament

3/12/2023 12:53:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

FRISCO, Texas – Florida Atlantic University is dancing like its 2002.

The Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team won the Conference USA Championship on Saturday, blowing out UAB in the title game by a 78-56 final score. With the win, the Owls earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history and the first since the 2001-02 season. The championship is the first since that season as well, and the Owls leave Conference USA with a trophy held high.

The Owls' tournament draw will be decided during the CBS Sports Selection Show tomorrow. Florida Atlantic is hosting a watch party in the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena that is open to the public, beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Florida Atlantic continues its incredible 2022-23 season, which was already easily the greatest in program history. The Owls' record now stands at 31-3 and adds another banner to its resume. The Owls also captured the regular season Conference USA Championship in addition to the tournament title, another program first in the 10-year history as a member of C-USA.

Tonight's game was all Owls, led by a herculean effort from Alijah Martin, who scored 30 points on a red hot 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point land, and he made it a double-double with 11 rebounds. For his efforts, Martin was named the Most Valuable Player. Martin and Johnell Davis were named to the All-Tournament team. Davis tallied 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds to cap off an impressive three-game streak.

Quotes From Coach May

"We're extremely proud of a total group effort once again," FAU head coach Dusty May said. "This team is a group of givers. They don't take, they serve every day. Their work capacity and work ethic is unmatched. This season, the journey we have been on, there have been so many games night after night that have felt like a tournament game with a ticket to the dance on the line, because of the pressure and magnitude of those games. I was amazed how the pressure never phased these guys, and once we got in between the lines, they just hooped. I'm very proud of everyone who had a hand in this, especially the guy to my left (Alijah Martin), he had a game for the ages."

Stats & Notes

The Owls wasted no time in grabbing control of the game, going on a 15-2 run to capture a 25-14 lead with 9:17 left in the first half
After UAB cut it to 29-21, a massive 15-4 stretch to end the first half opened a 44-25 advantage for FAU
FAU had a tremendous edge in the rebounding department, with a 47-30 lead on the glass
The depth that FAU has shown all season continued, with nine Owls scoring tonight
Vladislav Goldin had a big night down low, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four blocked shots
Nick Boyd recorded six points and seven rebounds

Selection Show Watch Party

FAU is hosting a Selection Show watch party on March 12 in Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. Fans are invited to come and watch the brackets unfold with the team. Doors open at 5 p.m., and admission is free.

Follow FAU on Social Media

To stay up to date on all things FAU men's basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.