FAU knocks Memphis out of NCAA Tournament
COLUMBUS, Ohio − Deandre Williams, four fouls and all, hit the goahead tip-in with 34.3 seconds left in the game.
But FAU’S Nick Boyd made a layup with 2 seconds left to upset No. 8 seed Memphis 66-65. The Owls advance to the round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament, where they will face 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson (21-15). The Knights, who upset Purdue Friday, are just the second team in history to knock out a No. 1 seed in the first round.
If leading scorer Kendric Davis (12 points) was the highlight of the first half, the Tigers’ supporting cast made things happen in the second. Davis and second-leading scorer Williams combined to go 2-of-8 through the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Meanwhile, Jayden Hardaway, Alex Lomax and Malcolm Dandridge were 5 for 6, to hold FAU at bay for a while, at least.
But the Tigers (26-9) fell apart down the stretch.
Davis, who reinjured his right ankle on a missed 3-pointer with under 6 minutes to play, turned the ball over with 11 seconds remaining.
Role players grab the spotlight
With Davis and Williams struggling early, the Owls took flight.
FAU (32-3) made four of its first eight 3-point attempts. The fourth one, courtesy of Nick Boyd, gave the Owls a commanding 25-15 lead with 8:38 to play before halftime. Davis and Williams, to that point, were a combined 2-for-10 from the floor.
While FAU was busy containing a pair of first-team AAC players, several of Memphis’ other guys rose to the occasion – in particular, Elijah Mccadden, Jayden Hardaway and Damaria Franklin.
That trio combined for 19 points (7of-13 from the field), five rebounds and one big block in the first half to keep the game from getting out of reach. Franklin, who had drained a 3-pointer to cut it to a five-point deficit 24 seconds earlier, prevented an answer by the Owls by blocking a Boyd layup attempt.
Deandre Williams’ roller-coaster game
As rough a half as the first was for Williams from a scoring standpoint (he had six rebounds and two assists), the second half was a different story.
Williams doubled his first-half point total in the first 2:05 after intermission. Then it got dicey quickly. With 18:23 left, Williams picked up his third personal foul. Less than a minute later, the whistle found him again on a questionable call that split the opinion of those in attendance and watching at home.
Hardaway subsequently made a bold decision by reinserting Williams with 14:09 to play.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.