In a tightly contested American Athletic Conference (AAC) quarterfinal matchup, No. 5 seed Florida Atlantic (18-15) came up short in an 83-76 loss to No. 4 seed Tulane (19-13) after a late rally by the Green Wave.
Freshman center Matas Vokietaitis continued his breakout tournament performance, tying his career-high with 21 points while recording his first collegiate double-double with 12 rebounds. After earning Player of the Game honors the previous day, Vokietaitis picked up right where he left off, scoring nine of FAU’s first 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Despite falling behind early, the Owls quickly found their shooting rhythm. Ken Evans Jr. and KyKy Tandy each connected on their first attempts, while Kaleb Glenn knocked down a pair of three-pointers to cap off a 12-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a six-point lead. However, Tulane responded with a strong push of its own, closing the first half on a run to take a 32-27 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Green Wave extended their advantage to nine, but FAU refused to go away. Redshirt freshman guard Devin Vanterpool led the charge with 12 second-half points, shooting an efficient 3-for-4 from the field. Vokietaitis also provided a spark, scoring six straight points to put FAU ahead in the closing minutes.
With the game tied at 74-74 with under three minutes remaining, Tulane seized control with a dunk and two free throws to go up by four. FAU had opportunities but failed to convert down the stretch, allowing the Green Wave to close out the victory and advance to the AAC semifinals.
The loss ends FAU’s run in the conference tournament, but Vokietaitis’ emergence provides a bright spot as the Owls look ahead to the future.
