BOCA RATON, Fla. –Johnell Davis sunk a miraculous shot from downtown to give No. 22 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (17-4, 7-1 AAC) the 66-63 victory over North Texas (12-6, 5-2 AAC) on Sunday afternoon.
The shot, made with just 0.4 left on the clock, gave Davis 28 points on the day as he continues to establish himself as one of the top players the college basketball world has to offer.
Davis’ offensive efforts were complimented by key plays on both sides of the floor from the rest of the Owls to give the team their sixth straight victory, longest win streak of the season.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
FIRST HALF
The Owls knew they had to find their score in bunches against a North Texas team giving up the fourth least points per game in the country. It took almost four minutes for the Owls to find their first bucket, but a triple from senior guard Bryan Greenlee followed by a quick rebound and driving layup from Davis gave the team an offensive spark.
Florida Atlantic forced two shot clock violations early on to keep the game as a competitive battle. The first lead of the game for FAU came on back-to-back three-pointers from Davis and junior guard Alijah Martin with eight minutes to go.
Ultimately, the Owls entered the locker room with a slight 28-26 deficit.
SECOND HALF
The second half battle saw no team able to pull away with more than four-point lead throughout.
A driving layup by redshirt sophomore guard Nick Boyd scored on a layup under the basket, reminiscent of his game winner in the 2023 NCAA Round of 64, to tie the game at 63 with 55 seconds remaining. Two key stops in a row on defense put the ball in Davis’ hands with 13 seconds to go, where it would not leave for the rest of the possession.
Instead of a timeout, the Owls kept momentum going with the Wooden Award midseason Watch List member dribbling the ball across the court and settling on the left wing where the game-winning shot fell.
STATS & NOTES
- The Owls now have 52 victories dating back to the beginning of last season, the most in Division I
- Davis’ six triples ties his career high set earlier in the season
- The junior guard has scored at least 28 points in three of his last five games
- Junior center Vlad Goldin scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half
- Martin continues to make plays on defense, recording three steals for the eighth time this season
- The Owls won the rebounding battle 38-31, Davis and Goldin tied for the team lead with eight
- 66 points from FAU is tied for the most points allowed in conference play by North Texas’ defense
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UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic will have almost a week off before their next game against Tulsa on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. Tip off will be at 6 p.m. EST.
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
