BOCA RATON, Fla. – After a week on the road, the No. 24 Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team (12-4) returns home to the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on Sunday, Jan. 14, hosting UAB (10-5) in a matchup that will tip-off at Noon and aired on ESPN+. Fans packing the Elly are asked to wear red.
The former Conference USA-turned-American Athletic Conference rivals will meet for the 19th time, a series in which the Owls have won two of the last three. Their most recent meeting was a memorable one for Florida Atlantic: the 2023 Conference USA Championship game. Behind
Alijah Martin's 30 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals, the Owls coasted to a 78-56 victory that clinched a spot in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The rest was history.
Florida Atlantic's 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
The Owls picked up their first American road win and first program victory over Tulane in an 85-84 last-second victory. In a matchup between the two highest scoring offenses in the AAC, Martin converted two free throws with 0.4 on the clock to win. The entire Owls' starting five scored in double figures and combined for 78 points, led by
Nick Boyd's career-high tying 21 with a career-best six triples.
- Junior guard Johnell Davis put together another impressive performance, tallying a new career high in assists with eight. With 14 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, he became the first Owl to put up such a statline since the 2010-11 season
- Coming off a 19-point performance on 8-12 shooting, junior center Vlad Goldin remains the nation's leader in field goal percentage at 71.2%. He is the only player above the 70% mark
- The Owls currently rank at 33rd in the nation on points per game at 82.3, second in the AAC. Their 11.2 point differential is also second in the conference
- FAU ranks second in the conference in both field goal percentage (49.1) three-point field goal percentage (36.7%). Nationwide, they rank 22nd in shots from the field
- Florida Atlantic has recorded 20+ assists in five out of 16 games, more than doubling their previous season's output of two
- The Blazers balanced unit includes junior forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who in addition to being the team's second leading scorer at 12.3 points per game, leads the AAC in rebounds per game (9.3) and blocks (2.3)
- When on offense, Florida Atlantic will also have to be wary of the UAB's leading scorer in Eric Gaines (12.4 ppg), who is leads the conference with 2.6 steals per game
The Owls will host another home game on Thursday, Jan. 18 against Wichita State (8-7, 0-2 AAC). Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. EST.
To stay up to date on all things FAU men's basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.