Some enticing basketball action architected by FAU’s rockstar Alijah Martin engulfed the NCAA fans on Thursday night. The Florida Atlantic Owls hosted the Wichita State Shockers in a star-studded affair. After two back-to-back victories, the Owls were looking to carry on with the momentum and stay at the top of the AAC table.
A sold-out Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena included the likes of Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in attendance to witness Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis inspire a second-half comeback win for the FAU.
Alijah Martin leads from the front
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The home team made a slow start to the opening half as they were trailing were not less than 10 points in the first 8 minutes. This was when Martin took matters into his own hands and responded with a quick rim run to land one in the bucket. Following this, he capitalized on Wichita’s sloppiness and the Owls on level terms in the next 5 minutes. A turnover followed by a cheeky dump ball led to Nicholas Boyd burying 2 points getting FAU their first lead of the ball game. However, Wichita’s Quincy Ballard responded soon and got his team ahead to finish the first half with an 11-point lead.
As the game took its course into the second half, Martin and Davis picked up their game and took it to the next level. Both of them combined to put 30 points together in a matter of minutes to give the home team an upper hand. As a result, Florida stormed their way back and scored 55 second-half points. In the end, they managed to hold on to the lead and finished the game on 86-77.
Two of their standout performers Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis stepped up yet again and saved the days for the Owls.
The Dynamic duo of Martin and Davis
In the absence of injured forward Giancarlo Rosado, it was the deadly combination of Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis that got the ball rolling for FAU. These two fine athletes have proved yet again why they are considered one of the best in the business. Evidently, Martin made full use of his 35 minutes on the court as he ended up being the team’s top scorer with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, No. 1 of the Owls, Davis contributed with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
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The Florida Atlantic Owls got the desired result in the end. Moreover, this win will boost their campaign as they have shown they have the ability to make a comeback. Further, with two of their big guns firing on all cylinders, they make a strong contention for the AAC championships this season.
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What were your thoughts on the game? Let us know in the comments section.
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