It took a Johnell Davis scoring 28 and points and an off-balance deep Left-Wing triple from him during the last seconds for FAU to defeat UNT, 66-63, in the teams first go-around on January 28th
It was important for FAU to bounce back following the tough loss to Memphis, and they did exactly that, finding their balanced offensive attack and getting a swarming team effort defensively. Although the Owls didn’t have the most effective game from deep, they made important triples which helped space the offense and open up opportunities for Vlad to succeed down low.
FAU comes in losing 2 of their last 3, while Tulane is on a 5-game skid. Tulane has the potential to right their ship in this one, as a win could do mountains momentum wise, while a loss for FAU would raise serious concerns about the team’s ability to gain an at-large bid.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup between FAU and Memphis was a thriller that saw both sides exchanging leads and playing hard nosed basketball. In the end, however, it was the Memphis Tigers who defended their home court and used big moments in the second half to power through FAU, 78-74.
FAU is coming off a solid victory over SMU, one in which the team was able to get off to a hot start, battle physically, and play a full 40 minutes. Vlad Goldin put up 21, his 3rd 20-point performance in 4 games, and Alijah Martin put up 20, building on a consistent streak of performances for him.
Basketball in paradise resumed on Thursday evening, and it brought a rejuvenated Owls team along with it. Backed by a Sandstorm and 2 20-point performances from Alijah Martin and Vlad Goldin, FAU defeated conference foe SMU 80-70.
FAU will be looking to bounce back following their tough road loss to state rival USF. Unfortunately for the Owls, the next game is by no stretch a bounce back game as SMU comes to town as one of the most efficient all-around teams in the country.
USF defended home court, and took firm control of the AAC, defeating state rival FAU in front of a hyped fanbase, 90-86. USF led for over 37 minutes of this game and held on to win despite a ferocious 2nd half comeback effort from FAU and 23 points from Vlad Goldin and 20 from Johnell Davis.
FAU Vs USF could establish a true number 1 seed in the AAC, as the Bulls are currently in 1st place and riding a 10-game win streak; while FAU is right on their tails and with a Charlotte loss could find themselves in 1st place with a win on Sunday.