DENTON, Texas – The Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team had their backs against the wall on Thursday night. North Texas had a 46-37 lead on the Owls with five minutes remaining in a rock fight. Against all odds, on the road against the second-ranked defense in the nation, the Owls closed the game on a 13-0 run to steal a 50-46 victory over last year’s regular-season Conference USA Champions.
The Owls continue their terrific start to the season, now standing at 12-1 and 2-0 in C-USA play, with a program-record 11-game winning streak. FAU stood at 13th in the NCAA Net Rankings prior to tonight’s game.
FAU has been known for its 3-point shooting this season, and rightfully so – as the Owls entered tonight’s contest 10th in the nation in made threes per game and 22nd in 3-point percentage. This game was the opposite; a total defensive slugfest, as FAU shot only 3-of-23 from long range, yet still found a way to win.
Alijah Martin finished a layup and got fouled for the 3-point play to pull FAU within 46-40 with under four minutes to play. The Owls’ defense dug in down the stretch, holding the Mean Green scoreless in the final 5:24. After a clutch Michael Forrest triple, a pair of Johnell Davis free throws made it a one-point game, then a clutch 3-pointer from Bryan Greenlee lifted FAU on top 48-46 with 56 seconds to play.
On the other end, Martin came up with a huge steal to give possession back to FAU. With nine seconds to go, FAU held a 48-46 lead with the Mean Green shooting a one-and-one, and they missed the front end. Forrest grabbed the rebound and hit two free throws to ice the improbable win for the Owls.
QUOTES FROM COACH MAY
“That was a good old-fashioned rock fight,” FAU head coach Dusty May said. “We’re very proud of our guys’ effort. For both teams to shoot a combined 6-of-45 for three, that means there are a lot of long and tough rebounds. We’re really proud of our guys for staying composed. Our mantra is ‘frame by frame’. When you watch film, there’s possession by possession, play by play and frame by frame. You pause it in milliseconds and ask ‘is that team engaged? Is that team in a stance, anticipating and ready to play’? For about 39 and a half minutes, our guys were as locked in on the defensive end as you could be. North Texas is an elite defensive team themselves, they’re physical and aggressive. Our guys responded. Especially for us, being a team that’s known as being skilled and offensive minded, for us to build a win like this is a testament to what we are capable of moving forward.”
STATS & NOTES
- Vladislav Goldin had a monster night down low for the Owls against a physical Mean Green front line. The Owls’ center posted his first career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds
- Davis went for nine points and a big nine rebounds. At the end of the first half, Greenlee found an open Davis under the hoop for a big layup heading into the break
- Martin tallied nine points, four rebounds and two steals
- Forrest finished the evening with nine points, four rebounds and two assists
- Once again, the Owls had a major edge on bench points with a 31-11 mark in that category. Entering tonight’s game, FAU ranked fourth in the nation in bench points
- FAU’s defense held North Texas to 34% shooting from the field and just 13.6% from 3-point range
ANOTHER BIG ONE UP NEXT
The Owls will return to the hardwood after the New Year for another huge conference matchup. This time, UAB will come to Boca Raton on Jan. 5 for a 7 p.m. tip.
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