BOCA RATON, Fla. – The No. 24 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (13-4, 3-1 AAC) brought down UAB (10-6, 2-1 AAC) on Sunday afternoon at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
Behind another top-notch and efficient performance from junior guard Johnell Davis, who dropped 30 points for the second time this season, the Owls put together a strong offensive unit that saw them create and maintain a double-digit lead for the majority of the game.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
FIRST HALF
The Owls’ offense got going thanks to the electric start from Davis, who scored the team’s first 10 points on 3-for-3 shooting.
Soon the ball would find its way to junior center Goldin, the nation’s leader in field goal percentage, who made five of his six attempts at the rim including two highlight one-handed dunks.
With 29 points between the two, Davis and Goldin alone would outscore the Blazers as the Owls entered halftime with a 43-24 lead.
SECOND HALF
Davis and Goldin continued to score efficiently, finishing the day a combined 18-26 from the field.
The Owls’ also got a spark from senior guard Jalen Gaffney who scored eight of his 10 in the half and found his way to the hoop in multiple ways: a three-pointer, driving layup, and an and-one.
Florida Atlantic would spread the ball around with 11 of their 16 assists coming in the period.
The lead for the Owls grew to as much as 20. Though UAB was able to cut the deficit to just eight with under four minutes to play, FAU quickly put the game away with a 10-0 run with redshirt sophomore forward Tre Carroll coming through on multiple clutch shots.
STATS & NOTES
- This marks Davis’ third career game of 30 points or more and second of the season. Two of his three 30-point performance have come against UAB
- Davis went 5-for-6 from downtown
- Goldin finished the day with 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, putting him up to 71.8% from the field this season
- Five players recorded at least five rebounds. Davis and junior guard Alijah Martin tied for the lead with eight, senior guards Bryan Greenlee and Gaffney adding seven, and Goldin tallying five
- FAU won the assist battle 16-8
- The Owls tied their season high in blocks with five, two of them coming from Martin
UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic will host another home game, taking on Wichita State (8-8, 0-3 AAC) on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. EST.
FOLLOW THE OWLS To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
