– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
DENTON, TEXAS — FAU head coach Dusty May admitted after tonight’s game that his team’s journey toward another NCAA Tournament appearance has been much bumpier than the magic carpet ride it rode all the way to the Final Four just less than a year ago, However, after those nauseous moments on the rollercoaster, his team has once again found its form and look ready to make sure to end this latest ride at the Final Four once again.
Johnell Davis scored 21 of his 29 points points in the first half, and he and center Vlad Goldin made big baskets down the stretch with the shot clock running down as FAU came back from a seven-point second-half deficit to defeat North Texas 80-76 inside of the Super Pit in Denton. Nick Boyd came off the bench and scored all 13 of his points in the second half, including making 9-of-10 from the free throw line for the Owls, who have won two straight.
It’s no surprise to see the Owls near the top of the standings in the American after almost its entire Final Four team from last season returned to Boca Raton to settle unfinished business, but the Owls have suffered four defeats in conference play this campaign — double the amount of defeats it had in league play during all of 2023 as it swept its way to a Conference USA regular season and tournament title. A couple of those veterans, Davis and Goldin, took turns in each half making dents against the nation’s seventh-ranked scoring defense in the Mean Green.
Davis went 10-of 15 from the field while scoring more than half of his team’s points in the game’s first 20 minutes as FAU was down by two, 42-40, at the break. Goldin scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, and also changed the game with his presence inside by both blocking shots and altering shot paths as the Mean Green continued to attack the basket.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Wednesday evening’s contest, with photos taken by Dallas-area photographer Ross James. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 26 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
