BOCA RATON, Fla. – The No. 17 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (11-3, 1-0 AAC) began their inaugural AAC campaign with a 79-64 win over ECU (7-7) on Tuesday evening.
Despite a close battle most of the evening, the Owls pulled away with a 14-1 run to close the game. It was another balanced night of scoring, with junior guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin both dropping 20+ points for the second time this season.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
FIRST HALF
It was two Owls at the forefront of the scoring: Davis and senior guard Bryan Greenlee, who combined for the team’s first 15 points.
Davis nailed his first two shots for the Owls’ first five points, a triple on the first possession and a strong drive inside for his second score. Greenlee would follow with eight straight points of his own on similar shots.
Florida Atlantic would trail most of the half, but a late 8-0 run would close the gap, ultimately entering the locker room trailing by just one point at 36-35.
SECOND HALF
The Owls found their way inside and were rewarded with a lead, thanks to a ferocious slam dunk by Martin followed by a score inside by junior center Vlad Goldin.
While the Pirates continued to battle, Florida Atlantic pulled away, holding ECU without a field goal for the final six-and-a-half minutes to give the Owls their eighth double digit win.
STATS & NOTES
- Entering the night already over 1,000 career points and at 499 rebounds, Davis became just the fifth Owl in school history to join the 1,000 points, 500 rebounds club with his 20 point, six rebound outing
- Since the start of December, Davis is averaging 21 points per game
- Martin now has three games with 20+ points
- With 11 points and 11 rebounds, Goldin tallied his fourth double-double of the season
- All nine players who entered the game for Florida Atlantic recorded at least one assist, giving the Owls a 21-6 advantage over the Pirates
- The Owls outhustled the Pirates with a 15-2 advantage in fastbreak points
- FAU had the advantage in all three major shooting categories: field goal percentage (48%), three-point percentage (42%), and free throw percentage (71%)
UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic will hit the road for their first AAC away game in a matchup against Charlotte on Saturday, Jan. 6. Tip off will be at 4 p.m. EST and be aired on ESPN+.
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