FINAL: Butler 88 - 78 Penn State

Pierre Brooks led the Bulldogs in scoring with 26 points to get the win over the Nittany Lions. Butler moves on to the 5th Place contest on Sunday, awaiting the winner between VCU and Boise State. On the other hand, Penn State will prepare for the loser of the aforementioned matchup.

FINAL: Iowa State 62 - 71 Virginia Tech

Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla scored 35 points combined as they helped the Hokies secure their spot in the championship game of the invitational with the win over the Cyclones. Virginia Tech knocked down 11 three-pointers compared to just five from Iowa State. While the Hokies play FAU for the title, the Cyclones will next face #12 Texas A&M in the 3rd Place game on Sunday.

FINAL: VCU 61 - 65 Boise State

Was mainly a defensive battle for the last contest to conclude Saturday with the Broncos pulling away with the victory. No one on Boise State scored more than 12 points, but won the free-throw battle 17-13. The Broncos will play Butler for 5th Place on Sunday, while the Rams face Penn State in the 7th Place contest.

FAU takes on Virginia Tech for ESPN Invitational championship


What: #19 FAU (4-1) vs Virginia Tech (5-1)

When: Sun. Nov. 26th, @ 1:00 PM

Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

Series: This is the fourth matchup between the two teams, the last one occurring in 1995 (79-35 Virginia Tech). Hokies lead 3-0 all-time.


TV: ESPN

Radio: FoxSports 640

Live Stats: Here

Line: FAU -2.5


FAU at a Glance

Offense - 83 PPG, 48% FG, 38% 3PT

Defense - 71 PPGA, 44% FGA, 34% 3PTA

Rebounding - 36 RPG Owls, 35 RPG Opponents


Owl Notables

FAU has enjoyed astounding performances from several of their players en route to reaching the championship game of the ESPN Invitational, especially after beating the 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies.

They now take on a team they haven't faced in decades, dating back to the 1990s. All three past encounters ended up as blowout defeats, which the Owls now have a chance to rectify by potentially winning the invitational.

It would be expected that FAU will do a better job boxing out. Texas A&M won the rebounding battle 41-23 as a top team in that category, and with Virginia Tech not having the same profile as the Aggies, would allow the Owls to have an easier time grabbing boards.

Keep an eye on guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin. The duo is averaging 39.5 points combined in the invitational so far, gaining rhythm at the right time as they could possibly be due for another strong performance to secure the Owls another victory to finish their stay in Orlando.

The Owls will return home to Boca Raton as they will host the Field of 68 Classic, starting with the Liberty Flames on November 30th and the Charleston Cougars on December 2nd. Both games will be broadcast on ESPNU at 6:00 PM.


Virginia Tech Team Site: Here


Virginia Tech at a Glance

Offense - 81 PPG, 48% FG, 38% 3PT

Defense - 65 PPGA, 43% FGA, 35% 3PTA

Rebounding - 33 RPG, 31 RPG Opponents


Hokie Notables

Virginia Tech may have surprised themselves, getting past arguably the best defense in the country in Iowa State. While the Cyclones struggled to make free-throws, the Hokies made plenty of three-pointers to have the edge throughout Friday's matchup.

Ball movement is a strength the Hokies love to emphasize, distributing the ball to average 17.7 assists per game, putting them in the top 40 of the country. Sean Pedulla is their star playmaker, dishing out 5.8 assists each contest, placing him among the 30 best passers nationally.

FAU's Vlad Goldin is going to have a key assignment on center Lynn Kidd. The Hokie big man is leading the team in points with 17 and rebounds with 8.2 per game. He shoots a nation-leading 78.7% from the field and 87.5% from the free-throw line, so preventing him from getting easy looks and making his way to the charity stripe should be in the Owls' game-plan.

Also have tabs on Hunter Cattoor. He played a key role in helping Virginia Tech take down Iowa State on Friday, scoring 18 points on 4-9 shooting including three triples despite fouling out near the end of the game. He showcases a strong shooting stroke from deep, making 45.8% (37th nationally) of his 48 attempts, so disrupting his ability to get his shots off from the perimeter has to be on FAU's radar heading into Sunday's matchup.

The Hokies will next take part in the ACC/SEC Challenge, facing the SEC's Auburn Tigers on November 29th at 9:15 PM. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Guard Nick Boyd remains out, but the Owls will get back Carlos Rosado for today's contest.

FINAL: Penn State 74 - 86 VCU

The Nittany Lions finish last place in the invitational, going 0-3 despite Ace Baldwin scoring 27 points to help them try to win. The Rams will settle for 7th, getting two 20-point displays from Alphonzo Billups III and Zeb Jackson.

FAU's contest with Virginia Tech will tip-off around 1:10 PM.

Rick said

Guard Nick Boyd remains out, but the Owls will get back Carlos Rosado for today's contest.

Posted On: Nov 26th 2023, 11:58 AM #418507

This is huge. Such a boost offensively and defensively off the bench

Good start so far, really like how they're getting Goldin going early!

Gaffney getting crafty with that layup!

Owls have to take care of the ball better. 5 turnovers out the gate won't help at all.

Lorient isn't ready…need to wait a bit more.