No. 22 Florida Atlantic Narrowly Defeats Upset Minded North Texas
The Owls only led for 3:15 throughout the entirety of the game. But they led when it mattered most – as the final buzzer rang.
Johnell Davis knocked down a 3-pointer with .4 seconds left in the game to give Florida Atlantic a 66-63 victory over North Texas. Davis led all scorers in the game with 28 points and six 3-pointers, the most points allowed to a player by UNT all season.
UNT forward Robert Allen led the team with 15 points, while guards Jason Edwards and CJ Noland each scored 14.
FAU (17-4, 7-1 AAC) has won their sixth straight game and is tied with Charlotte at the top of the American conference standings. UNT (12-7, 5-2 AAC) has lost two of their last three games.
There’s been a heap of slow offensive starts for the Owls in recent weeks, and this game was no different. UNT came into Elanor Baldwin arena boasting the fourth-ranked defense in points per game, holding opponents to an average of 58.7 points this season.
The Mean Green held the Owls scoreless for nearly four minutes to start the contest – a drought eventually ended by a Bryan Greenlee three-pointer with just over 16 minutes left in the half.
UNT finished the first half leading 28-26, which ties the lowest points scored in a half this season for the Owls. UNT capitalized off Florida Atlantic’s sloppy gameplay early and finished the first half with eight of their 28 points off FAU turnovers.
The second half started a back-and-forth battle in which the Owls finally found a rhythm on offense, scoring 40 points.
FAU center Vlad Goldin played valuable minutes down the stretch, finishing with eight rebounds and knocking down two crucial free-throws to tie the game at 61 with 1:51 left.
Although the Owls aren’t exactly dominating week-to-week, they continue to find ways to win and are proving to be one of the best teams in the nation at closing out tight games. The Owls will return to the burrow, hoping to keep their win streak alive Saturday at 6 pm against Tulsa.
