BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team’s 12-game winning streak was in jeopardy against Charlotte on Saturday. The Owls held a lead as large as 20 points in the second half, but a vicious 49er rally cut the lead to as little as 66-64 with 1:16 remaining. Alijah Martin connected on a clutch 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to push the lead back to 69-64, and the Owls held on for their 13th straight victory in a 71-67 final score.
The Owls improve to 14-1 and 4-0 in Conference USA action, and are currently one of only seven teams in NCAA Division I with one loss. FAU’s school-record winning streak of 13 games is the second-longest active winning streak in the country, tied with UNC Wilmington and one game behind Charleston currently.
FAU shot the 3-pointer effectively in the first half, going 11-of-17 (64.7%) from beyond the arc to open a 41-27 lead heading into the locker room. The Owls took a 53-33 lead with 13:57 to go, yet Charlotte came storming back from there.
After Charlotte trimmed the lead to 59-56 with 5:30 left, Nick Boyd connected on a clutch 3-pointer to push it back to six. The 49ers got a bucket on the other end, but then Vladislav Goldin finished through contact to answer and keep it as a six-point game.
Goldin was huge for the Owls down the stretch on both ends, as the FAU center made a tip-in to keep the FAU lead at 66-58 with 3:24 to go. Charlotte made it a two-point game with 1:16 left, but Martin’s clutch triple made it a two-score game, and FAU held on down the stretch to seal its 13th straight victory.
QUOTES FROM COACH MAY
“I’m overall very pleased that we were able to find a way to win against a very tough and physical Charlotte basketball team that’s well-coached,” May said. “They hit around 15 points with less than two seconds on the shot clock. Everything didn’t go well, but our guys stepped up to make the plays necessary to win. I’m most impressed with their poised and togetherness.”
STATS & NOTES
- Martin recorded a game-high 17 points on a red-hot 5-of-9 (55.5%) shooting from 3-point territory as well as four rebounds
- Bryan Greenlee tallied 12 points for the second night in a row, going an even 50% (5-of-10) from the floor with four rebounds
- Johnell Davis totaled 10 points and five boards
- Goldin scored 9 points on 4-of-6 (66.7%) shooting from the field, adding five rebounds as well as four assists
- Michael Forrest scored eight points, dished out three assists and grabbed two steals
UP NEXTThe Owls will return to action for a trip to FIU on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
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