It was a disappointing night for the Florida Atlantic basketball team as they fell in the AAC conference tournament semi finals to the Temple Owls, 74-73, Saturday night. There is no doubt that it was an upset loss as the No. 2 FAU Owls were arguably the favorites to win it all, but lost to Temple who was No. 11 in conference rankings as head coach Dusty May still has confidence in his team.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Florida Atlantic basketball team after making it to the Final Four last season before losing to San Diego State on a buzzer-beater shot. May said to the media after the loss to Temple that the mindset now is to get some “rest and regroup” and was confident in saying “we have another opportunity to compete for a championship” according to the FAU Owls' Nest.
“We’ll try to find an earlier flight home, get back, rest and regroup—and not forget that a lot of work, blood, sweat and tears put us in position to still be playing,” May said. “It’s an honor, and this group is special, and so we have another opportunity to compete for a championship.”
May doubles down on Owls making national tourney
While there is confidence in May, it is entirely valid to still feel some doubt as now the Owls have to rely on getting an at-large bid to the national tourney instead of an automatic bid by winning the conference. As the team awaits for Selection Sunday, May doubles down and says that they will be a squad that has a “chance to compete for the biggest championship in college basketball.”
“I think every single team in the country … your goal is to make the NCAA Tournament,” May said. “There’s 360 teams now, (and) 68 get in. So we’re confident that we’re going to be one of those teams that have a chance to compete for the biggest championship in college basketball.”
Despite the loss, the Florida Atlantic basketball team was led by big-man Vladislav Goldin who scored 23 rebounds while collecting five rebounds. Standout Johnell Davis also contributed with 18 points while collecting seven rebounds, but as a whole, the team shot a measly 17.6 percent from three-point range, making only three of 17 attempts.
“I thought we had a lot of really good looks against the zone,” May said via FAU Owls' Nest. “Maybe they’re out of rhythm, I’m not sure. But when we don’t shoot well and then our defense is, I won’t say soft, but needed to be more physical, and when we give up the percentage we did from 3, it’s not a recipe for success.”
May gives credit to Temple in upset win over FAU
While the Temple Owls were ranked 11th in the conference, they had a slew of impressive victories in the conference tourney against the likes of UTSA, SMU, and Charlotte. May would give the fellow Owls their props saying that they “made big plays.”
“They just played better longer,” he said. “They hung around in the first half when things weren’t going great for them, much like against Charlotte. And then in the second half, they knocked down a few, and when their centers make a few 3s, then defenses have a tendency to overreact at times, and then their guards were able to get to their spots (for) step-backs and shoot from deep. They played really, really well and made big plays.”
Even if the conference tournament ended in disappointment, they did have some staple victories this season like against No. 4 Arizona back in late December. The Owls are 25-8 this season while being 14-4 in conference play as they await the decision from the committee Sunday at 6:00 p.m. to see if they will make March Madness and who they will face in trying to replicate the magic from last season.
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