New York — Michael Forrest cooly sank four free throws in the game’s final 17.9 seconds as Florida Atlantic University continued its stunning NCAA Tournament run by withstanding another huge game by Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell and dumping No. 3 seed Kansas State 79-76 in the East Regional final at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday night.
FAU (35-3), making just its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, won the East Region at Madison Square Garden and will head to Houston to play the winner of Sunday’s South Region final between Creighton and San Diego State.
The winningest team in Division I this season had never won an NCAA Tournament game before ripping off four straight, all by single digits.
Nowell, the 5-foot-8 native New Yorker, was incredible again at The Garden, with 30 points, 12 assists and five steals, coming off a record-breaking Sweet 16 game. He didn’t get enough help.
Alijah Martin scored 17 points, including a huge 3-pointer down the stretch, 7-foot-1 Vlad Goldin had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Forrest, the senior Blanche Ely High School graduate, made the dagger free throws for the Owls.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin was the only other player in double figures for Kansas State (26-10) with 14 points.
This is a developing story.
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