FORT MYERS, Fla. – The No. 7 Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team (10-3), fell to FGCU (6-9), 72-68, on Saturday evening.
FAU’s rally from 10 down in the second half ultimately came up just short.
Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
FIRST HALF
The Owls started hot, made four of their first six shots, but soon the Eagles took over to take a double-digit lead.
Florida Atlantic saw strong play from junior center Vlad Goldin led the team with eight points as well as Johnell Davis who scored four points on 2-3 shooting with a signature steal that led to a slam dunk.
SECOND HALF
Florida Atlantic battled back, cutting the lead every time it appeared FGCU could put the game out of reach.
Davis, much like the previous game, began to take over in the second half, scoring eight straight points.
Two offensive rebounds from Alijah Martin turned into five points from the junior guard to help bring the deficit to two points.
With two free throws by Goldin, the Owls tied it at 68 with 1:12 left on the clock but did not score the rest of the way.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Dusty May
“They outplayed us in every facet of the game. As a group, we haven’t handled success as well as we need to. As we close the 2023 pre-conference schedule, we are pleased where we are overall but what we learned is our highs are very high and our lows are relatively low.”
Junior Center Vlad Goldin
“They brought energy. We weren’t as fast as we normally are, we didn’t shoot as well. We just have to be better. It starts from preparation and we can be more focused than we were and that is what we are going to do next time. They played well.”
STATS & NOTES
- Goldin, the nation’s leader in field goal percentage, scored 21 points on 7-9 shooting. It is his second career 20+ point game
- Davis finished the night with 17 points
- Martin collected five offensive rebounds for a season high 10 boards
- Four players recorded at least five rebounds: Martin (10), Goldin (7), Davis (6), and Giancarlo Rosado (5)
- The Owls had a strong performance inside, outscoring the Eagles 38-24 in the paint and winning the rebound battle 42-30
UP NEXT
It will be a quick turnaround for the Owls, who will host their inaugural AAC contest on Tuesday, Jan. 2 against ECU (7-6) at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
