Owls Fall to the Bulls in Overtime Thriller

Sunday, February 15

Boca Raton, Fla.

2 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

14-12,6-7American

South Florida

18-8,10-3American

OT 1

South Fla.

Fla. Atlantic

Photo by: cwhitehouse photos

2/15/2026 7:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic men's basketball team fell short to South Florida 83-81 on Sunday afternoon inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.

The Owls (14-12, 6-7) faced the Bulls (18-8, 10-3) for the second time this season, this time in the Elly. FAU led in the first half, forcing the Bulls to fight back and win in overtime. For the third time in conference play, the Owls had five or more players in double-digits. FAU changed the lineup with freshman guard Josiah Parker making his first collegiate start.

FIRST HALF
Redshirt sophomore forward Devin Williams started off with a block to leave the Bulls scoreless in the first possession. Coming off his career high, sophomore guard Isaiah Elohim picked up right where he left off with a three-pointer to get the Owls on the board and finishing the first half +9.

FAU trailed by three points with seven minutes left when Williams drove in for a layup to tie the game, 25-25 to end the first half with 12 points, going 6-for-8 from the field. It was Devin Vanterpool's made free throws that secured the two-point lead for the Owls before entering the locker room.

SECOND HALF
Back-to-back threes from Vanterpool and a Parker layup gave Florida Atlantic the lead back with 7 minutes remaining.

The Bulls retook the lead with 4:30 minutes remaining after Joseph Pinion hit consecutive three pointers, capping off an 8-2 run.

Down by two with 13.1 seconds to play, Niccolo Moretti threw the in-bounds pass to Vanterpool who drove into the lane, connecting on a layup inside to tie the score at 72 apiece, forcing a USF timeout with 7.4 seconds on the clock. The Owl forced a turnover on the ensuing possession but couldn't capitalize with 4.3 on the clock, sending the game into overtime.

OVERTIME
Vanterpool was fouled within the first minute of overtime, earning a trip to the line and knocking down one of two to take the lead. The Bulls retook the lead with less than two minutes to go. With 33 seconds on the clock, Williams hit a deep three at the top of the key to tie the game again at 81-81.

USF knocked down two free throws with eight seconds to go to win the game.

PRESS CONFERENCE

GALLERY

Gallery: (2-15-2026) MBB vs. South Florida

STATS & NOTES

For the fourth game in a row, an Owl set a career high, this time in assists, with Elohim dishing out four.
Parker registered his fifth career double-double, his third straight, with 13 points and 10 boards.
The Owls held the Bulls' Izaiyah Nelson to single-digit points, the first time that's happened since their Wichita State game on Jan. 18.
With five on the day, Williams is now fifth in program history for blocks in a single season with 70.
Vanterpool's 17 points in the second half were the most points in a second half in conference play.

UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic goes on the road to the state of Texas for a six-day road trip to face UTSA on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET. The Owls will then travel straight to Denton to take on the Mean Green on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. ET.

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 2025-26 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.