The Florida Atlantic Owls men’s basketball team (17-14, 10-8 AAC) defeated the East Carolina University Pirates 81-53 on senior day to close out the regular season. This win places the Owls at the fifth seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

This game was special because it was senior day and head coach John Jakus now has officially completed his first regular season with the Owls. The seniors celebrated were guards Ken Evans Jr., Kyky Tandy, and Jack Johnson.

“I just want to thank President Volnik,” said Jakus. “She was part of the hiring of me. The first thing I did when Brian [White] gave me the job was meet with her. She was unbelievably kind to me. She gave me a hug today and was there for the seniors.”

Jakus continues on to thank the managers and athletic trainers for the season. 

Before tip-off, FAU made a tribute video for Evans Jr., Tandy, and Johnson. There was a montage on the big screen showing their highlights throughout the season. Evans Jr. was emotional and cried during the celebration.

Evans Jr. averaged about seven points and one steal per game, while Tandy averaged 8.4 points per game throughout the 2024-2025 season. Johnson was a part of the 2023 Final Four run. 

“Ken surprised me, crying,” Jakus said. “I didn’t think that was possible. He never missed a day, never missed an extra workout…I just wanna say how much I love him.” Jakus continued to shout out the rest of the seniors.

Tandy had a shin injury from the day he transferred, but he worked hard with an athletic trainer, Joel Roberts, to heal up. Jakus pointed out that many people questioned Tandy, but his relationship with him is special. He also shouts out “the hammer” Johnson for the Final Four run in 2023 and getting his first career rebound, forever etching himself in the FAU record book. 

The Pirates scored the first points of the game off a breakaway layup from guard Jordan Riley after the tip-off. Tandy hit the corner three in retaliation for the Owls to take their first lead two minutes into the first half.

After a made free throw from Pirate’s forward C.J. Walker, the score was tied at 3-3. This score would remain for three minutes following a stalemate between the two teams. Forward Baba Miller drove toward the basket drawing two defenders toward him. At the last second, he dumped it off to forward Tre Carroll for the easy layup. 

Carroll’s layup finally opened up the scoring for this game. The Owls and Pirates traded blows and were tied 9-9 with 12 minutes remaining in the first half. Over the next two and a half minutes, the Owls started to hit their shots and went on a 9-2 run. 

The Owls used a variety of tactics to open up lanes and shots. In some instances, a player would drive and then kick out to an open three-point shot. If not, they would find another teammate in the dunker spot for the open lay up.

Continuing to flourish with this strategy, the Owls were able to build a ten point lead with seven minutes remaining in the half. Momentum for the Owls started to build, it seemed as though every shot just added to the fire within the team. 

Tandy, Miller, guards Niccolo Moretti and Devin Vanterpool all hit threes to increase the lead to 20 points for the Owls. They went on a 15-0 run before Pirate’s guard Cam Hayes broke the streak with a mid-range jumper.

After a few back-and-forth buckets from both teams, the first half ended. The Owls had a 41-23 lead. Fittingly enough, Tandy led the team with 11 points halfway through senior day. He made three shot attempts, all of which were from beyond the three point line. 

Tandy started off the second half with another three to push FAU’s lead to 21 points. After a few made free throws from the Pirates, Miller slammed the ball for the dunk. After another defensive stop from the Owls, Tandy hit his fifth three of the day to make the score 49-25 with 17 minutes remaining in the game. 

The Owls continued to dominate the game. The Pirates just couldn’t keep up. Eventually the Owls won the game 81-53. Even Johnson was able to get some playing time on senior day and recorded the rebound that forever etched him into the FAU record book. 

Tandy led the team with 19 points on the day. Five of his six made shots were from three-point line. Miller and Carroll both produced a double-double today in points and rebounds. 

Next for the Owls, they head to Fort Worth, Texas for the AAC tournament. If the Owls can make a run and win the tournament, they’ll punch their ticket for March Madness. They will face the winner between the 13th and 12th seed on Thursday, March 13. Most of the games will be streamed on ESPN+. 

Morgan Larkins is a Staff Writer for the University Press. Email him at mlarkins2023@fau.edu or DM him on Instagram or Twitter @mj_larkins for more information regarding this or other stories.