| 2/15/2024 | No. 24 Men’s Basketball | Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. – The No. 24 Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team (20-5, 10-2) AAC picked up the win over Temple (8-17, 1-11 AAC) with a 80-68 victory.In the battle of the Owls, FAU picked up their ninth straight home victory and 10th of the season. For the second game in a row, five Florida Atlantic players scored in double figures, with another top-notch performance from senior guard Brandon Weatherspoon who dropped 16 points with four triples. FIRST HALF FAU’s offense came out firing, hitting seven of their first 11 shots and seven of their first 12 attempts from beyond the arc. 10 different Owls saw minutes, including junior forward Giancarlo Rosado in his first action since Jan. 14.It was smooth sailing the rest of the period for Florida Atlantic, hitting 53% of their attempts from the field and 50% from downtown. Redshirt sophomore guard Nick Boyd drilled four from beyond the arc for 12 points while junior guard Alijah Martin added 10.For Florida Atlantic, they built a comfortable 45-34 advantage heading into halftime. SECOND HALF The second half opened up with highlight lobs to Vlad Goldin and Alijah Martin to keep the double-digit lead. But the Owls of Temple mustered up a comeback to bring the score within two.It was then time for Weatherspoon to pick up where he left off in the previous outing. He would score five quick points, flying in for a tip-in layup and then a knocking down a three-pointer. A key offensive board and score by Rosado with just under three minutes to go put the game out of reach.A key Rosado block was followed up with seven straight points from junior guard Johnell Davis to extend the lead to 12. With just under three minutes to go, Rosado got the board and score to put the game out of reach. QUOTABLE STATS & NOTES Davis, named earlier in the day to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Top 30 Midseason Team, recorded his fourth game of the season with 10+ points (17), 5+ rebounds (5), and 5+ assists (6)Martin tallied double figure points for the seventh time in eight games, scoring 16 and adding seven reboundsRedshirt sophomore forward Tre Carroll had a new career high in rebounds (7)Weatherspoon had his third straight game in double figures. In the last three games, he is shooting 17-for-25 on field goals and 9-for-16 from beyond the arc FAU moves to 18-0 on the season when leading with five minutes left UP NEXT On Sunday, Owls travel to Tampa to begin a new rivalry with USF in a game with significant impact on the AAC standings. The Bulls currently lead the conference with a 12-1 record while Florida Atlantic is right behind at 10-2. Tip off will be at 12 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. FOLLOW THE OWLS To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura. |
