Clash at Charles Koch Arena: Florida Atlantic Owls to Face Wichita State Shockers
As the Florida Atlantic Owls prepare to take on the Wichita State Shockers at Charles Koch Arena, fans are eager for insights into how their team might fare in this upcoming contest. The Owls have had a rocky performance in their recent games, and this match-up presents an opportunity for redemption or further disappointment.
On December 21st, the FAU faced a tough loss against San Diego State Aztecs with a final score of 48-75. The game highlighted several areas of concern for the Owls; they struggled with turnovers, committing 17 in total which led to just four points off turnovers. Their field goal percentage was low at 35 percent and even though they shot free throws at a decent clip of 71 percent, it wasn't enough to close the gap created by the Aztecs' superior offense.
Just three days prior on December 18th, FAU narrowly escaped with a win against UCF Knights by one point (59-58). Despite turning over the ball an alarming 22 times and shooting only 60 percent from the free-throw line, they managed to secure victory thanks largely to their impressive three-point shooting percentage of 50. This performance showed that when their shots are falling from beyond the arc, FAU can compete with tenacity.
However, looking back further to December 16th's game against Howard Bison reveals another concerning loss (45-46) where once again turnovers were an issue for FAU. They gave up possession on twelve occasions but managed sixteen points off turnovers themselves. Their field goal percentage sat low at around 28 percent and although they made eight three-pointers at a rate of roughly 38 percent, it wasn't sufficient to outscore Howard.
The pattern emerging from these past games is clear: when FAU controls their turnover rate and shoots well from distance, they stand a much better chance of winning. However, consistency has been elusive for them this season.
The Wichita State Shockers will be no easy opponent; as hosts with home-court advantage in Charles Koch Arena come January 28th's game night showdown – it’s going to be an uphill battle for FAU. The key factors that could determine if Florida Atlantic can pull off an upset will be improving ball security and maintaining strong perimeter shooting while hoping that other facets of their game fall into place.
Fans who want to support or witness whether Florida Atlantic Owls can turn around their fortunes should mark their calendars; tip-off is scheduled for January 28th at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita. Unfortunately there are no broadcast networks listed but stay tuned as local listings may update closer to game day.