Can Florida Atlantic Owls Bounce Back After Narrow Loss to Mustangs?
The Florida Atlantic Owls, with a record of 0-0, faced off against the SMU Mustangs, also at 0-0. The game concluded with a score of 52-57 in favor of the Mustangs.
In an intense matchup at Moody Coliseum, the Florida Atlantic Owls displayed a tenacious effort against the SMU Mustangs. Despite falling short by five points, the Owls showed resilience throughout each quarter. The team's scoring was consistent, starting with 11 points in the first quarter and peaking at 16 in the third before rounding out with 13 in the final period.
The Owls' defense managed to block two shots and steal possession six times over the course of play. Offensively, they were able to assist on eleven occasions but struggled with turnovers, totaling twenty-one for the game which translated into four points off turnovers for them. Their shooting from inside was less effective than desired; they made only ten out of thirty-five two-point attempts resulting in a twenty-nine percent success rate.
From beyond the arc, however, they fared better by converting seven out of twenty attempts giving them a thirty-five percent three-point shooting accuracy. At free throw line they showed composure making eleven out of sixteen shots which rounded up their free throw percentage to sixty-nine.
On rebounds front, Florida Atlantic dominated by collecting forty-seven compared to SMU's thirty-nine. This included an impressive defensive effort as they grabbed thirty-two defensive boards and added another eleven on offensive end which contributed significantly to their fifteen second-chance points.
The Mustangs countered effectively throughout this conference game as well. They capitalized on their fast break opportunities scoring fourteen fast break points and were more efficient offensively overall making twenty-one field goals from sixty-six attempts for a thirty-two percent field goal percentage including an impressive forty-six percent from three-point range (five made threes). Their defense notched up six blocks and eleven steals leading directly to twenty-six points off turnovers thanks largely due to their superior assists turnover ratio at 1.78 compared to that of FAU's at just 0.58.
Looking ahead after this close contest where neither team led by more than single digits throughout four quarters played without any lead changes or ties except once early on; fans can look forward when Florida Atlantic takes on North Texas Mean Green next week.
The upcoming game is scheduled for January 7th at UNT Coliseum located in Denton TX where fans can catch all action live as it unfolds starting from 3:00 PM Eastern Time zone broadcasted via sports networks covering these events.