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Florida Atlantic went crashing out of the NCAA Tournament after blowing a lead to Northwestern and losing the game in overtime. But there was one moment that led up to the overtime that had the CBS announcing crew absolutely baffled.
The Wildcats scored a game-tying field goal with just eight seconds to play. But after being passed the ball, Owls superstar and AAC co-Player of the Year Johnell Davis was in no hurry at all to move the ball close to the net. He didn’t even take his shot until there were two seconds remaining and did so from well beyond the three-point range when all they needed was a layup.
Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, and Grant Hill were flummoxed by Davis’ lack of eagerness to drive into the paint or at least to position himself for a better shot. And none were surprised with what happened next.
Davis’ three-point attempt was well-short of going into the net and the rebound was grabbed a Northwestern player as time expired to send the game into overtime.
The final seconds of regulation in Northwestern-Florida Atlantic. We have OT! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/4xNqQHViGv
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 22, 2024
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“What’s he doing?” Rafferty asked as Davis slowed down. “Why would he stop… he flew by and gets to the rim, you’ve got to get a good shot or find somebody!”
“I think he predetermined that he was gonna pull up from three. But to your point, too casual there. He should have attack, got downhill and put the onus on the officials,” Hill replied.
While it’s unfair to lay the blame for the loss entirely at Davis’ feet, the fact of the matter is, the overtime that was forced because of his miss saw Northwestern outscore FAU 19-7 and the Owls were sent home with a 77-65 loss.
That loss could very well be the final game of Dusty May’s tenure at FAU too as he’s expected to be heavily courted by Power Five schools in the upcoming coaching cycle.