FAU basketball: Alijah Martin's career day caps FIU sweep

BOCA RATON — The FAU men’s basketball team came away with the win in an 84-76 thriller against FIU on Saturday afternoon in the Owls' final regular-season game.

The Owls (18-13, 11-7 Conference USA) swept the Panthers for the second season in a row and have increased their school record to 11 wins within the conference.

Head coach Dusty May said FIU played them tough in the second half as FAU saw a 22-point lead cut to two.

“Hats off to FIU. I thought they were extremely aggressive in the second half. We didn't do a great job staying in front of the ball, but I do think we finished, and we found a way to make plays when we needed to,” May said. “On a night when several of our players didn't have anywhere near one of their better games, we were still able to grind out a win, so I’m very proud of our guys.”

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The Owls will enter this week's Conference USA tournament as the No. 3 seed. FAU will face the winner of Marshall/FIU on Wednesday.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Martin's big day

The second-year freshman once again showed off his talents as he dropped a career high in the season finale, dropping 34 points to go along with six rebounds.

Until the two-minute mark in the first half, he was perfect from the field and the 3-point line as he scored 18 points before halftime.

“Everything would just go in my and our favor, so we just played off that and the results showed,” Martin said.

To get to the 30-point mark, he had an impressive slam dunk on a defender that showed his burst and athleticism.

“As I was cutting in, I was gonna punch it in regardless, it didn't matter who it was,” Martin said. “I just had to because of my momentum and just the way the game was going, I had to get us a little more energy to pull through to win.”

It hasn’t been a secret that Martin is a building block for this team going forward, and with the Mississippi native having multiple years of eligibility, May said he has a high ceiling.

“The threes, the dunks, all the stuff that everyone sees, but what really jumped out to me was his poise, his pace, coming up with loose basketballs late in the game when the game was still in doubt. I thought he did it all,” May said. “I don't think he had his best defensive game, but offensively he was sensational.

"He continues to improve, he continues to learn and grow and he has a bright future playing the game of basketball. He's a very talented young player, obviously, but he's an even better person, credit to his family.”

2. A slow second half

While Thursday’s win on the road saw the Owls shine in the second half to separate themselves over FIU, Saturday was the complete opposite.

The first half saw the Owls dominate every aspect as their lead was up to 22 at one point, but they were stagnant in the second as FIU cut the lead down to two points late in the final 20 minutes.

May said that the team didn’t play to their expectations in the second half and put the blame on himself.

“We were a little bit flat in the second half. That's all on me. We didn't come out ready and prepared to really take the fight to FIU. I thought they were the aggressor in the second half, and it shows the character and the quality of players and staff over on the other sideline,” May said. “So credit to them, but we have to be the more physical team. We have to be the more aggressive team on the glass, and tonight I don't think we were, at least for the second half.”

When it did come to the closing moments of the game, Martin and guard Bryan Greenlee made some tough plays and crucial free throws to keep FIU out of the lead.

Greenlee, who had four free throws in the final minute, said the team didn’t play with enough intensity as they did in the first half.

“I think we lost our edge a little bit coming into the second half, just maybe getting a little too comfortable with the lead,” Greenlee, who scored 17 points, said. “They just came out with more energy and more fight, made hustle plays and punched us in the mouth. And I think that's where it kind of went downhill.”

3. Sending out the seniors at home

The seniors were sent out in nice fashion as Everett Winchester, Bitumba Baruti and Grant Ulmer were honored Saturday.

While usually Vladislav Goldin gets the start, Baruti got the nod, and May said it was a reward for him being in his final home game, though he's hopeful the Owls can add more fun for the seniors in the postseason.

As May said postgame, the seniors have led and have sacrificed for the program, but the swan song isn’t on yet.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU basketball: Alijah Martin shines, Owls sweep FIU