| 11/22/2024 | Men’s Basketball | Box Score CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team fell to Drake by a score of 75-63 in the semifinals of the 2024 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic on Friday afternoon. With the loss, the Owls move to 4-3 on the season after a hard-fought defensive matchup against a Drake that remains undefeated at 5-0. FIRST HALF Once again, the Owls offense started strong early, knocking in their first six shot attempts for 14 points. It was redshirt senior guard Ken Evans Jr. and freshman center Matas Vokietaitis who led the way, combining for 12.A back-and-forth first half saw 11 lead changes and four ties. Redshirt junior forward Tre Carroll came off the bench to provide energy on both ends of the court, scoring six points on all three shot attempts as well as a smothering block on defense. The Bulldogs took a late lead and held onto a 32-28 halftime advantage. SECOND HALF The Owls went ahead three minutes into the second half with junior guard Leland Walker crashing to the hoop and drawing the foul for the three-point play to go up 35-32. The Bulldogs responded with back-to-back three-point shots. A counter beyond the arc from graduate guard KyKy Tandy tied the game at 40, but Drake regained the lead and held on the rest of the way. POSTGAME PRESSER STATS & NOTES Walker led Florida Atlantic in scoring with 15 and tied for the team lead in assists with five Vokietaitis added 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting and seven rebounds Carroll was the third Owl to notch double digits, scoring 10 points going 4-for-5 from the field. He also recorded two of the team’s three steals Junior forward Baba Miller had an all-around game with two triples, five rebounds, and five assists FAU outscored Drake in the paint by a 26-22 margin UP NEXT To conclude their time in Charleston, the Owls will compete in a consolation game for third place in the tournament on Sunday, Nov. 22, against the winner of the Vanderbilt/Seton Hall game. The final game for FAU will tip-off at 6 p.m. and air on ESPN2. 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 2024-25 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura. |
