How Ken LaVicka, the voice of FAU basketball, called final seconds of Owls' Elite Eight win
Florida Atlantic play-by-play broadcaster Ken LaVicka captured the enthusiasm of Owls fans in Boca Raton and beyond with his radio call in the final seconds of FAU's Elite Eight win over Kansas State.
The Owls defeated the Wildcats 79-76 on Saturday night in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
FAU (35-3) hit clutch free throws down the closing stretch and forced Kansas State (26-10) into a game-ending turnover on the Wildcats' final possession to seal the Owls' place in the Final Four in Houston.
"Florida Atlantic! Florida Atlantic is going to the Final Four. One of the most improbable stories in college basketball history has just played out in New York City," LaVicka said as the final buzzer sounded.
"Houston, you have a problem. Florida Atlantic is coming to town looking for a trophy."
You can listen to the call here:
FAU basketball radio call of win vs. Kansas State
As called by @KLV1063 and heard on the @varsity app: pic.twitter.com/yIlC0AR2KS
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 26, 2023
Game recap:Florida Atlantic basketball defeats Kansas State to reach Final Four
3 things to know:Vladislav Goldin gives Florida Atlantic basketball a post presence
The call that almost wasn't
In a postgame interview with Andy Katz, LaVicka detailed a near-disaster as the Owls' radio broadcast went off-air in the final 30 seconds of the game.
If not for Kansas State opting for a quick layup and timeout on the Wildcats' second to last possession, LaVicka said he and his team may have been off-air at the buzzer.
Find the full detailing the harrowing moments before LaVicka and his team were able to the broadcast back on the air just in time to capture a historic moment in Florida Atlantic history.
Ken LaVicka of the FAU Radio network had quite a hectic final minute of his broadcast. You can’t make this up. He nearly missed his career call for @FAUMBB to go to @MarchMadnessMBB @MFinalFour: pic.twitter.com/H3gRXsFZYG
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) March 26, 2023
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU basketball: Listen to the Owls' radio call of Elite Eight victory