Florida Atlantic Falls to Memphis

Sunday, February 25

Memphis, Tenn.

2 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

21-7,11-4AAC

Memphis

20-8,9-6AAC

Fla. Atlantic

Memphis

2/25/2024 5:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Ben Paul

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Another late-game rally from being down double digits was not enough for the Florida Atlantic men's basketball team (21-7, 11-4 AAC), falling to Memphis (20-8, 9-6 AAC) by a score of 78-74 on Sunday afternoon.

In a game with 15 lead changes and five ties, the Owls came up just short. The effort was once again led by junior center Vlad Goldin who logged 22 points on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting from the field. This marked his third consecutive game scoring 20+ and fourth time in five games.

FIRST HALF

Florida Atlantic found buckets early, converting five of their first seven attempts.

Goldin was particularly aggressive inside on his way to 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting, including two scores on putbacks.

The Owls' lead grew to as much as eight, thanks to two triples from senior guard Bryan Greenlee, but the Tigers did not let them pull away. FAU held on to enter the locker room with a 31-30 lead.

SECOND HALF

A back-and-forth battle continued. The Owls had an efficient beginning, shooting well over 50% for much of the period. In their first 10 missed shots, they were able to get six offense rebounds.

FAU relied on their top three scorers with junior guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin along with Goldin combing for 35 of the team's 43 points in the period.

The Tigers took the lead for good with 6:50 remaining, one that grew to 10 with just three minutes and 38 seconds left on the clock.

But the Owls made quick work of cutting the deficit. A shot from beyond the arc by senior guard Brandon Weatherspoon followed by two free throws from Davis brought the game within three with just under a minute remaining. Ultimately, Memphis held on by converting three of their four final free throw attempts.

QUOTABLE

STATS & NOTES

Goldin now has six games this season scoring 20+ points after beginning the year with none to his name
With 20 points, Davis extended his double-digit scoring streak to 21 games. 17 came in the second half
Martin scored 13 points and nabbed a team high nine rebounds
Weatherspoon dished out a career high six assists
The Owls continue to find their rhythm scoring inside, scoring 40+ points in the paint for the third straight game

UP NEXT

Florida Atlantic will return home to the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena to host Tulane on Saturday, Mar. 2. It will be an early tip off with a 12 p.m. start time.

FOLLOW THE OWLS

To stay up to date on all things FAU men's basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.

Florida Atlantic's 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.