LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The No. 14 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (9-2) will head to Las Vegas for a neutral site game against No. 4 Arizona (9-1) on Saturday afternoon, Tip off will be at 3 p.m. EST. and aired nationally on FOX.
This marks the third matchup of the season for FAU against an AP Top 25 team. The Owls had previously taken down Texas A&M, ranked No. 12 at the time, by a score of 96-89 and came up just short against No. 13 Illinois in a 98-89 defeat. The Wildcats held the No. 1 spot in the AP rankings from Dec. 4 – 18.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
| No. 14 Florida Atlantic (9-2) vs. No. 4 Arizona (9-1) | |
| Game Details | Saturday, Dec. 23 | 3 p.m. (EST) | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada. |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats | FOX | Game Notes |
| Florida Atlantic Links | Roster | Schedule | News |
| Arizona Links | Roster | Schedule | News |
| Social Media | X | Instagram | Facebook |
LAST TIME OUT
The Owls turned a double-digit deficit into a double-digit 64-54 victory against St. Bonaventure (7-3). Florida Atlantic forced a season high 21 turnovers and eight steals to create 24 points in one of their best defensive performances of the season. Junior guard Johnell Davis led the team with 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Vlad Goldin added 11 on 4-4 shooting.
STATS & NOTES
- Neutral site matchups have become natural for the Owls over the last two seasons, where FAU has amassed a record of 12-2 in such games
- It will be a battle of two top offenses; Arizona is second in the nation in scoring at 92.3 points per game. While Florida Atlantic is 37th with an average 83.5 points per game, both teams have five games scoring at least 90 points
- Goldin, the nation’s leader in field goal percentage at 75.9%, has not missed a shot in two consecutive games, going a combined 7-7. He remains the team leader in points per game at 15.1
- For Davis’ recent efforts against St. Bonaventure, he was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll, joining Goldin who has already received this accolade three times
- Nick Boyd returned to the rotation after a seven-game absence due to injury. The redshirt sophomore guard provided a spark off the bench with seven points, all coming in the second half
UPCOMING
The Owls will regroup on Saturday, Dec. 30 for their first true road game of the year, an in-state matchup against Florida Gulf Coast (4-9).
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