FORT MYERS, Fla. – (Nov. 20, 2019)– A buzzer-beater was the difference as the Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team fell to Florida Gulf Coast 72-70 in overtime on Wednesday night.
The Start
The Owls (2-3) started off well both offensively and defensively, holding the Eagles to just two field goals in the game’s first 10 minutes, building a 22-5 lead in the process. The margin was 15 with 3:44 remaining in the first half, when FGCU began chipping away at the cushion, pulling to within single digits at the 15-minute mark of the second half.
FAU answered with 10 straight points, capped off by a Karlis Silins three, to take its largest lead of the game, 46-27, with 12:09 left to play.
The Turning Point
The Eagles gradually began to erase FAU’s lead and eventually tied the score on a Jalen Warren layup with 44 seconds left. A Silins putback allowed the Owls to go back ahead 57-55 with 30 seconds to go, but Warren responded with another bucket to level the score at 57. FAU had a chance at the game-winner in regulation, but the shot was no good, sending the game to overtime.
The Finish
The extra session was back and forth the entire way, with neither team leading by more than three points the entire period. Michael Forrest made a pair at the line to knot the score at 68 with 38 seconds left. Warren scored to retake the lead for FGCU, but Forrest countered with a running layup to once again even the sides, this time at 70-all. Warren made a jumper with two-tenths of a second left and the Owls were unable to get a potential game-tying tip-in.
Notables
- Michael Forrest scored 16 points and also grabbed four rebounds
- He is the Owls’ fifth different leading scorer in as many games this season
- Aleksandar Zecevic had his second double-digit scoring game in a row, notching 12 points, in addition to collecting five rebounds
- Karlis Silins posted 11 points and six rebounds
- FAU outrebounded the Eagles 36-34
What’s Next
The Owls will take some time off before hosting Holy Cross on Friday, Nov. 29 as part of the Boca Raton Beach Classic. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Live video and live stats will be available at fausports.com. The game can be heard on FOX Sports 640AM. Live updates will be posted to the team’s official Twitter account, @FAU_Hoops.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
