CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 17 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (11-4, 1-1 AAC) fell to Charlotte (7-7, 1-1 AAC), 70-68, on Saturday afternoon.
It was another battle for the Owls, who overcame a 17-point second half deficit to take the lead, but ultimately came up just short on two free throws in the final second.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
FIRST HALF
18 of Florida Atlantic’s 26 points in the period came from the paint, highlighted by junior center Vlad Goldin’s slam dunk followed by a strong move inside for four consecutive points.
The Owls trailed throughout, entered the locker room with a 15-point deficit.
SECOND HALF
Though the 49ers took a 17-point lead early in the half, the Owls came storming back to bring it within single digits with 13 minutes to go.
With the ball in redshirt sophomore guard Nick Boyd’s hands, he attacked the basket for 15 points on 4-5 shooting and added six free throws in the period, two of them coming from three-point plays.
It was junior guard Alijah Martin who would give the Owls their first lead of the game with under four minutes to go, crashing his way inside for a putback layup.
Trailing by three with just 20 seconds left, FAU turned to the always-reliable junior guard Johnell Davis, who drilled a deep triple from the left wing to tie it up, but the 49ers converted two free throws in the final second and a final shot attempt for Florida Atlantic bounced off the rim.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Dusty May
“Credit to our guys, they got back and fought, scrapped, clawed, got us in position to win the game. When you are dealing with a one possession game, last year we were able to win all of the one possession games, but the numbers say you are probably going to win half of them. If we are going to continue to be in one possession games, the numbers say it is going to be back-and-forth. We have to figure out a way to get our edge back, start defending at a higher level, and moving the ball like we are capable of doing.”
STATS & NOTES
- Davis has recorded 20 points in consecutive games for the second time in his collegiate career
- Boyd’s 19 points were a season high
- Boyd and Davis combined for 22 of the Owls’ last 24 points
- The Owls converted 17 out of 20 free throw attempts (85%) and were a perfect 15-for-15 in the second half. It was their second-best performance from the free throw line all season
- Florida Atlantic outscored Charlotte 42-29 in the second half
UP NEXT
The Owls will remain on the road, taking on Tulane (10-4, 1-1 AAC) on Thursday, Jan. 11. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. and aired on ESPN2.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
