CHICAGO, Ill. – The No. 10 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (1-0) tipped off their 2023-24 campaign with a convincing 75-62 victory over Loyola Chicago (0-1) in Wednesday’s Barstool Invitational.
While the Owls are ready to turn the page from last year’s success and look towards the now, their championship tenacity remained on display with a hot shooting night and a dominating defensive performance. It was all Florida Atlantic all night, with the Owls never trailing during the entire game.
FIRST HALF
FAU put in early work on defense, forcing five turnovers in the opening five minutes.
Early on offensively, it was on Nick Boyd’s shoulders, knocking down his first three shots for eight points.
Back-to-back three pointers for Brandon Weatherspoon followed by six straight points for Johnell Davis sparked a 19-4 run that ultimately gave the Owls a 43-30 advantage heading into the locker room.
Junior big man Vladislav Goldin was the man of the half. In addition to his eight points, he was a force on the defensive end, nabbing five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.
SECOND HALF
The lead for the Owls grew as high as 18 early in the second frame. While the Ramblers put together a run of their own to bring the score within single digits, FAU never relinquished the lead.
Teamwork was on display throughout the half. Davis found Giancarlo Rosado for the assist on a pick-and-roll that turned into a three-point play. On the very next possession, Rosado returned the favor with an assist of his own.
Goldin continued his strong start, ultimately the night with a monster stat line of 19 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and four steals. He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Dusty May
“Last year was a special season, but as a coach, as a program, and as a group of players chasing their individual goals and dreams, it was nice to just move on to the next chapter and see what this team can become. We are not a finished product, we are going to take a lot of pride in growing and developing and becoming even more of a cohesive unit over the next four or five months.”
Junior Center Vlad Goldin
“The goal is always the same: win as many games as we can. It doesn’t matter if it is the first game or the last game of the season. Just keep focusing on what is important and what is not important…new team, new season, new chapter.”
STATS & NOTES
- The Owls strong shooting start in the first half, 51% from the field and 50% from downtown sparked offensive success
- Goldin’s 19 points ties his career high, while his five blocks and four steals were both new career highs. He added 10 rebounds to his stat line to give him the double-double
- Four Owls finished the night with double-figure points: Goldin (19), Boyd (13), Weatherspoon (12), and Davis (12)
- Florida Atlantic continued their successful formula of sharing the ball around, winning the assist battle 16-9. Senior guard Bryan Greenlee led the way, dishing out five
- The team took advantage of Ramblers turnovers, scoring 27 off of them compared to Loyola Chicago scoring just five
UP NEXT
Fans will get their first chance to pack the Elly on Tuesday, Nov. 14 for Florida Atlantic’s home opener against Eastern Michigan. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
