Alijah Martin hit two of three free throws after being fouled by Tulane's Jaylen Forbes on a desperation 3-point attempt with less than a second left, and No. 24 Florida Atlantic escaped with a 85-84 victory over the Green Wave on Thursday night. “We hate it that it came down to the play that it did,” FAU coach Dusty May said. Martin — who had family and friends from Summit, Mississippi, in attendance — missed the second free throw, but made the third.
Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt was named offensive player of the year in the American Athletic Conference on Wednesday, when the Green Wave's Willie Fritz was picked as the top coach for the second consecutive season. The league's 14 coaches who vote on the awards also chose UTSA linebacker Trey Moore as defensive player of the year and tabbed Florida Atlantic wide receiver and return specialist LaJohntay Wester as the top special teams player.
Line: Tulane by 17 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Green Wave's current ranking is the highest of the season and the third straight week of being in the AP Top 25 since returning Oct. 15. Tulane is the league's only ranked team, yet it finds itself in a three-way tie atop the league (with Atlantic Coast Conference-bound SMU and UTSA) and can't afford a stumble.