Live updates: FAU basketball score in Final Four vs. San Diego State
The Final Four, the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament semifinals, are underway with game one, Florida Atlantic University Owls vs. the San Diego State University Aztecs.
Florida Atlantic University rode its dominant regular season into a March Madness birth, then the 9-seeded underdog ran through its opponents in Columbus and Madison Square Garden in New York to arrive at the tournament’s semifinal, which tips off with the first of two games at 6:09 p.m. Saturday, April 1.
And don’t forget, FAU is joined by another South Florida team in the Final Four. The Miami Hurricanes play the University of Connecticut to get to the championship game. There’s the possibility of an all-Florida matchup for college basketball glory.
But it will be the FAU Owls, led by coach Dusty May, playing the San Diego State University Aztecs in the evening's first Final Four matchup.
FAU posted a 31-3 season record, which included a 20-game winning streak and the Conference USA title.
San Diego State had a 27-6 record including winning the Mountain West conference. In the tournament so far, they've gotten by top-seeded Alabama, Charleston, Furman and Creighton to arrive in Houston with its own hopes for a basketball title.
Follow here for the score, and live updates from Palm Beach Post reporters in Houston as Florida Atlantic takes on SD State.
FAU's lead over SDSU starts to dwindle
FAU leads 65-60 with less than 8 minutes in the Final Four.
What was once a 14-point advantage has dissipated for the Owls as San Diego State captured some momentum to pull within 2 points.
After FAU went farther ahead, San Diego State erodes lead
FAU leads 58-51 inside 12 minutes in the Final Four's first game.
San Diego State has clawed closer with a 9-2 run, including a Matt Bradley 3-pointer.
The Owls slowly built a bigger lead after Alijah Martin was fouled on a 3-pointer. He connected on all three free throws.
A technical foul on SDSU’s Micah Parrish led to two free points for FAU.
Alijah Martin has taken over the scoring with 17 points, including 10 in the second half.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
Florida Atlantic maintains lead, keeps scoring in Final Four
FAU leads San Diego State 49-40 in the early stages of the second half.
Alijah Martin hit his second 3-pointer of the afternoon to extend FAU’s advantage to 46-38. FAU’s Nick Boyd and San Diego State’s Darrion Trammell exchanged 3-pointers to open the second half scoring.
The Owls are limiting turnovers, committing just three through the opening 24 minutes.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
Final Four Halftime: Led by Nick Boyd and Giancarlo Rosado, FAU leads San Diego State 40-33
Nick Boyd has a team-high 9 points but all nine players who've featured have scored as FAU takes lead into the halftime locker room.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
FAU Owls pull ahead late in first half of Final Four
FAU leads 36-28 as SDSU calls timeout to stem an Owls run.
Bryan Greenlee and Alijah Martin hit 3-pointers out of the media break to give Owls 32-26 lead.
Aguek Arop ends the 6-0 FAU run with a layup, but FAU responds by getting the ball inside to Giancarlo Rosado for field goals on back-to-back possessions.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
Nick Boyd, FAU are on fire from 3
FAU student section brings excitement from South Florida
Final Four tied early: Florida Atlantic vs. San Diego State are even
FAU and San Diego State are tied 26-26 with less than 8 minutes left in the first half.
The teams are exchanging the lead with each made basket.
Jalen Gaffney hit a 3-pointer to counter a pair of baskets from SDSU big man Nathan Mensah.
LaMont Butler previously put the Aztecs back on top with a 3-point jump shot after a huge Aztecs block against FAU’s Brandon Weatherspoon.
FAU regained the lead at 19-17 on a pair of Johnell Davis free throws. Brandon Weatherspoon then hit two more on the next possession as SDSU’s Jaedon Leedee picked up his second foul.
Goldin scored first points at the 11-minute mark on a left-handed shot off the glass to tie the game at 17-17.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
FAU rallies back after slow start
FAU trails 16-15 at the under-12 media timeout.
Michael Forrest’s layup off the glass and Nick Boyd’s third 3-pointer extended the Owls’ run to 10-2.
Alijah Martin ended San Diego State’s 14-0 run with a jumper, which Nick Boyd followed with his second 3-pointer for FAU.
Matt Bradley is on fire for San Diego State. He hit a 3-point jumper and layup to extend the Aztecs’ lead. He started 4-of-4 from the field for a game-high 11 points.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
Uptempo start to the Final Four, FAU trails SDSU
FAU trails 8-5 at the first media timeout. Nathan Mensah hit a layup and was fouled in the final action.
Nick Boyd hit a 3-pointer on Owls’ first possession and Johnell Davis scored a running layup for a 5-0 opening run. Matt Bradley hit a pair of 3-pointers put the Aztecs into the lead.
The first FAU turnover came less than two minutes into the game. The Owls have two early turnovers.
— Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post
The Florida Atlantic University Owls play the San Diego State University Aztecs in the Final Four to determine who plays in the NCAA Men’s Tournament championship game. The winner will play the winner of the other matchup, University Connecticut vs. the University of Miami.
When: Tipoff is 6:09 p.m. Saturday, April 1
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV Channel: CBS
At stake: A game for the college basketball championship and a possible matchup of two Florida teams: FAU and Miami.
What's the latest line for Florida Atlantic vs. San Diego State basketball?
San Diego State is a 2.5-point favorite over FAU, according to Tipico, the oddsmaker for USA TODAY. The over-under is 131.5 points. See the expert predictions for this Final Four matchup.
Where is the 2023 Final Four? What to know about NRG Stadium in Houston
Where: NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans
Capacity: The Final Four seating capacity will be more than 71,000
Ticket prices: There were tickets listed this week for less than $100, but there are “all session” tickets that are over $1,000, though prices dropped after the Elite Eight began.
Who did Florida Atlantic beat to get to the 2023 Final Four?
This was the FAU Owls’ tournament path to the Final Four:
Sweet 16:FAU completed the biggest NCAA Tournament upset in program history, defeating No. 4 seed Tennessee 62-55 after completing a furious second-half comeback at Madison Square Garden.
Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Clark Kellogg pick Florida Atlantic to win in the Final Four
Simply put, Charles Barkley likes what is sees in FAU.
“I think the Owls are gonna do it,” Barkley said on the pregame show. "If they get to 65 points, I like the Owls."
FAU and San Diego State basketball rosters in the Final Four
The starting five for the Florida Atlantic University Owls will be Alijah Martin, Johnell Davis, Bryan Greenlee, Nick Boyd (all listed as guards), and center Vlad Goldin.
The San Diego State Aztecs rolling out forward Keshad Johnson, guard Lamont Butler, guard Dareion Trammell, guard Matt Bradley and forward Nathan Mensah.
Here are the rosters for both teams in Saturday’s first Final Four matchup:
Florida Atlantic is led by guards Johnell Davis and Nicholas Boyd, and center Vladislav Golden. Here is FAU’s Final Four roster.
San Diego State’s leading scorer is guard Matt Bradley, the only player on the Aztecs who averages in double-digit points. Here is San Diego State’s Final Four roster.
FAU grad Carrot Top said some strange things about his alma mater
Trails, dirt and not many buildings. Actor-comedian Carrot Top, who went to high school in Cocoa Beach and college at Florida Atlantic University, didn’t have the greatest things to say about where he went to college.
“I think more people are shocked that FAU is in the final for than the fact that I actually went to college, said Scott Thompson, aka “Carrot Top,” to the chuckles of Final Four Show host Rece Davis.
