They came out of nowhere, the Florida Atlantic Owls. No NCAA Tournament wins in school history. Their last 20-win season came in 2010-11, under former St. John’s coach Mike Jarvis.
Nobody saw them coming, all season or Saturday night.
Kansas State and Markquis Nowell, the diminutive guard from Harlem, were the headliners.
The Wildcats led by seven, and seemed ready to pull away.
Nondescript Florida Atlantic and coach Dusty May had other plans in this magical season.
They took over the Garden down the stretch, just as they had the other night against Tennessee, making all the big plays to book a stunning trip to the Final Four in Houston next weekend.
The ninth-seeded Owls will play for a spot in the national championship next Saturday after taking down No. 3 Kansas State, 79-76.
Florida Atlantic ripped off a 15-1 run, turning a six-point deficit into an eight-point lead, then hung on when Ismael Massoud couldn’t get off a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the horn.
The balanced Owls were led by Alijah Martin’s 17 points and Bryan Greenlee’s 16. Seven-foot Russian Vladislav Goldin was a two-way force, notching 14 points and 13 rebounds, and keying Florida Atlantic’s 22-rebound edge on the glass.
Nowell was heroic in defeat, notching 30 points and 12 assists.
