Florida Atlantic runs past Rice for its fifth consecutive victory
Nick Boyd scored 18 points, Johnell Davis added 14 points and nine rebounds and No. 22 Florida Atlantic extended its winning streak to five games with a 69-56 victory over Rice on Wednesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Boyd scored 11 points in the first half as FAU built a 33-26 halftime lead. Davis and Boyd combined to shoot 10 of 17 from the field.
“Just taking open shots and they went in,” Boyd said. “We’re starting to find our groove a little bit, but I think we are light years away from where we’re going to be really soon.”
Alijah Martin added 14 points and eight rebounds for FAU (16-4, 6-1 American Athletic Conference), which outrebounded Rice 43-34 and held a 36-14 advantage in points in the paint. The Owls shot 44%.
“I feel like we’re playing much better than we did a month ago,” FAU coach Dusty May said. “We had a really productive pre-conference (schedule) where we played at a high level. We just didn’t do it as consistently as we needed to, and we’re still learning how difficult it is every single night getting a great effort from these conference opponents.”
Alem Huseinovic scored 16 points and Mekhi Mason added 13 for Rice (7-12, 1-5). The Owls, who have lost six of their last seven, shot 35%. Max Fiedler had 18 rebounds and eight assists.
Rice coach Scott Pera pointed to the Owls’ defensive effort to keep FAU, which is averaging 84 points per game, to 69.
“Losing stinks,” Pera said. “I am disgusted thoroughly, but I also have some level of hope and encouragement because that was our best defensive effort of the year.”
Rice closed within 33-29 to open the second half, but FAU responded with an 11-2 run to extend its lead to 44-31 lead on a layup by Davis with 16 minutes remaining.
Trailing 51-39 with 101⁄2 minutes remaining, Rice used a 9-2 spurt to cut the lead to five on a jumper by Mason with 6:45 left.
“We had got the looks we wanted; we got to the foul line; we had a chance to keep it close, cut it closer, make it closer and we missed six free throws in the second half,” Pera said. “That makes it hard.”
Rice would get no closer than five, and FAU scored five straight points to increase its lead to 62-52 with 3:12 left on a 3-pointer by Martin.
ALABAMA 79 NO. 8 AUBURN 75
Mark Sears had 22 points and eight assists and made two free throws with 9 seconds left to seal the win for the Crimson Tide (13-6, 5-1 SEC and end the Tigers’ 11-game winning streak.
Auburn (16-3, 5-1) had a chance to tie with 13 seconds left when Alabama fouled Chad Baker-Mazara on a 3-point attempt.
NORTHWESTERN 96 NO. 10 ILLINOIS 91 (OT)
Boo Buie scored 29 points, and Brooks Barnhizer added 23 as the host Wildcats (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten) scored the first nine points in overtime.
NO. 14 MARQUETTE 86 DEPAUL 73
David Joplin made six of his team’s 15 3-pointers, and the Golden Eagles (14-5, 5-3 Big East) beat the Blue Demons (3-16, 0-8) in Chicago in DePaul’s first game under interim coach Matt Brady.
NO. 23 IOWA STATE 78 KANSAS STATE 67
Milan Momcilovic scored 19 points as the host Cyclones (15-4, 4-2 Big 12) pulled away late to beat the Wildcats (14-5, 4-2).
NEVADA 77 NO. 24 COLORADO STATE 64
Jarod Lucas scored 28 points to spur the Wolf Pack (16-4, 3-3 Mountain West) to the upset of the Rams (15-4, 3-3).
NO. 25 NEW MEXICO 95 SAN JOSE STATE 75
Jaelen House scored 18 points as the visiting Lobos (17-3, 5-2 Mountain West) won their fourth straight.
Women
OKLAHOMA 91, NO. 10 TEXAS 87
In Austin, Skylar Vann had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Sooners (12-6, 6-1 Big 12) past the Longhorns.
Freshman Madison Booker scored a season-best 29 points for Texas (18-3, 5-3).
TEXAS TECH 66, UH 48
In Lubbock, Laila Blair’s 17 points led the Cougars (11-8, 2-6 Big 12), who trailed 33-26 at halftime.
TULSA 70, RICE 65
In Tulsa, Okla., Destiny Jackson’s 17 points led the Owls (11-7, 5-2 American), who rallied in the second half after trailing by 16 points at halftime.