Butler’s Buzzer-Beater Ends the Owl’s Cinderella Run

The FAU Owls’ Cinderella run came to an end last night in Houston as they lost to the San Diego State Aztecs on a buzzer-beater by Lamont Butler. The Owls had been on an historic run, making it to the Final Four for the first time in their history, but were unable to hold off the Aztecs in the final minutes of the game.

FAU started off strong and had a 14-point lead at one point in the game, but the Aztecs slowly chipped away at their lead. With 7:46 minutes remaining in the game, the Owls led by five points, but they were unable to score again until the 4:03 mark. By then, the Aztecs had rallied to tie the game at 65, setting up the final, frantic minutes that led to Butler’s heartbreaking buzzer-beater.

Despite the loss, FAU coach Dusty May was proud of his team, saying, “In this era, it’s tough to find great teammates and we have a locker room full of them.”

The Owls are already focused on next season and believe they can continue to build the basketball program into a consistent contender. May is also expected to sign a multi-year extension with the Owls, which should provide some stability for the program going forward.

Meanwhile, the Aztecs move on to Monday’s title game, where they will face a UConn team that has dominated every opponent by double digits.

Although the Owls’ historic run has come to an end, they have proven that they can compete at the highest level of college basketball. With a strong foundation in place and a coach who believes in his players, and an institution ready to invest in basketball, FAU is poised to make even more noise in the years to come.