BOCA RATON, Fla. – Entering Wednesday night’s cross-state matchup against Florida Gulf Coast, the Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team had already achieved its best start in program history and a No. 23 ranking in the NCAA Net Rankings. The Owls continued their impressive early season play with an 85-53 blowout win over the 7-3 Eagles, in a game that was not close after the opening tip.
The Owls continue their best start in school history at 8-1 and extend their winning streak to seven games. Tonight’s blowout win is the sixth straight win by double digit points and the third win in a row by 20 points or more.
FAU took command of the game with an 18-6 stretch in the first half, extending its lead from 14-7 to 32-13 with 7:11 left in the first half. The Owls continued to use the 3-pointer to their advantage, hitting five consecutive 3-pointers during that run. The Owls shot 46.7% (14-of-30) from 3-point range on the night.
Alijah Martin returned to the lineup for the first time in four games and wasted no time making an immediate impact. Martin tallied a season-high and a game-high 21 points tonight on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor and knocked down 4-of-8 3-pointers.
FAU took a 41-28 lead into the locker room then stretched their lead to 24 six minutes into the second half. The Owls shot 62% from the field in the second half (18-of-29) to coast to the victory.
QUOTES FROM COACH MAY
“For only the second time all year, we had our full roster,” head coach Dusty May said. “We looked healthy, fast and explosive, and we took care of business at home. Alijah could be the best all-around player in the league, he has to prove that by being a great defender, rebounder and efficient scorer. But with him and Johnell Davis, two really integral parts of our program being out the last few games, their teammates kept it moving without missing a beat. There hasn’t been a moment when these guys weren’t extremely happy for their teammates’ success. That’s the fun part of coaching. I’ve never had more fun coaching basketball, just because of the character and work ethic of this group.”
STATS & NOTES
- Michael Forrest moved into fifth place all-time in FAU history in scoring tonight. The fifth-year senior recorded 10 tonight to pass Jeff Cowans on the all-time school leader board, and now has 1,398 points on his career
- Vladislav Goldin recorded eight points and eight rebounds as well as two blocks
- Brandon Weatherspoon tallied eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor in 15 minutes
- Bryan Greenlee recorded scored seven points and racked up a game-high five assists
- The Owls’ depth continued to be on display, with a 50-15 edge in bench points on the night
- FAU also flexed its muscle down low with a 34-14 advantage in points in the paint
- The Owls continued to defend Paradise, extending their home record to 5-0 on the year. The Owls are now 40-9 at home since the start of the 2019-20 season
NEXT UP
The Owls will have the weekend off, then return to the court for another home game, this time against St. Thomas on Dec. 14.
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