11/21/2024 | Men’s Basketball | Box Score
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team took down Oklahoma State with an 86-78 victory in the opening round of the 2024 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic on Thursday afternoon.
With the win, the Owls (4-2) have defeated a previously unbeaten Cowboys team (3-1) to advance to the tournament’s semifinals. In a physical and defensive outing, Florida Atlantic relied on free throw shooting to pull away, going 35-for-49 from the line for their most makes and attempts in a single game since 2009.
FIRST HALF
Back-to-back three-pointers from graduate guard KyKy Tandy and junior forward Baba Miller kicked things off for the Owls’ offense as they converted eight of their first 14 shot attempts on their way to an early 7-0 lead.
Florida Atlantic led through the opening 10 minutes before Oklahoma State responded with a run of their own to go up by double-digits. The Owls closed the gap before halftime, entering the locker room trailing 39-34.
SECOND HALF
The Owls kept it tight throughout the half. While they could not find their shooting touch for much of the period, FAU kept effectively drawing fouls to get to the charity stripe, while holding the Cowboys to 35% from the field.
A cutting layup by junior guard Leland Walker plus the foul for a three-point play put the Owls up 68-67 with under five minutes remaining, their first lead since 16-14. It was all Florida Atlantic the rest of the way, sparking a 16-4 run to seal the win.
POSTGAME PRESSER
STATS & NOTES
- Tandy led the offense, scoring an FAU career-high of 21 points with four three-pointers. He is the third different Owl this season to reach the 20+ point mark
- For the sixth straight game, at least four Owls scored in double figures. In addition to Tandy, redshirt senior guard Ken Evans Jr. had 14, followed by Walker with 13 and redshirt junior forward Tre Carroll scoring 11
- Walker added three steals
- Miller nabbed a team-high eight rebounds
- Freshman center Matas Vokietaitis, the reigning AAC Freshman of the Week, recorded three blocks, most by an Owl in one game this season
- Florida Atlantic held Oklahoma State to just 23% from beyond the arc, their best three-point defense this season
UP NEXT
The Owls will have little time to rest with a spot in the championship on the line in a matchup against Drake (4-0) on Friday morning. The game will air on ESPN2 and tip-off at 11:30 a.m.
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.
