The #9 ranked Florida Atlantic Owls are in the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history after defeating #16 Fairleigh Dickinson Sunday night.
Unfortunately for them, this wasn’t the biggest post-match talking point.
Instead, it was the dunk that Owls star Elijah Martin attempted even though the Knights weren’t looking to hurt them anymore. They accepted that their efforts were not enough as the clock wound down in a 78-70 loss.
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Joe Munden Jr. , #1 of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, kicks the ball against Alijah Martin, #15 of the Florida Atlantic Owls, during the second half of a second round game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 19, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Dylan Boyle/Getty Images)
Martin’s windmill attempt didn’t go through the hoop, and it didn’t go over well with the fans in the stands either.
A great deal of boos thundered from the benches, as both teams began walking over for the customary handshake. The unwritten rules of basketball state that shots or dunks made when teams concede defeat are unnecessary and unnecessary.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC SECOND HALF TABS VOID FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON TO ADVANCE TO THE SWEET 16
Fans gave their bits in the stands, and FDU players were also seen not shaking Martin’s hand after the game. They make it a point to congratulate the rest of the owls except for him.
It also appeared that FAU coach Dusty Mae had apologized to FDU’s Tobin Anderson for Martin’s actions at the buzzer.
Social media was also outraged at his decision to go slam dunk.
“Really cool missed dunks from FAU’s Alija Martin!” David Cobb from CBS Sports he tweeted sarcastically.
“FAU should be kicked out of the tournament because of that missed dunk,” Trammell Raggs of The Washington Post added. “The basketball gods won’t let that slide.”
It also appears that Martin decided not to attend the post-match press conference because he probably knew what questions were coming his way.
We’ll see what the “Basketball Gods” have in store for Martin Walpoms, as they head to Madison Square Garden to take on No. 4 seed Tennessee Falls in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
Alija Martin, #15 of the Florida Atlantic Booms, celebrates for a basket against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights during halftime in an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Round 2 game at Nationwide Arena on March 19, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Martin finished the game with 14 points, but it was the Owls’ Jonelle Davis who put up 29 points to lead FAU in the victory over FDU.
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