Florida Atlantic delivered a commanding performance on Saturday, defeating Tulsa 79-55 in an American Athletic Conference showdown. Baba Miller led the way for the Owls, posting a near double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. The win improved FAU’s record to 13-10 overall and 6-4 in conference play, while Tulsa fell to 9-15 (3-8 AAC).
Tulsa started the game strong, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. However, FAU quickly responded with a dominant 13-0 run, fueled by Miller’s seven early points. The Owls caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down five of their first eight three-point attempts and finishing the first half shooting 53% from deep. Graduate guard KyKy Tandy was particularly lethal, hitting three of his four attempts from long range.
On the defensive end, FAU suffocated Tulsa, holding the Golden Hurricane to just 26% shooting from the field. Redshirt junior forward Tre Carroll was a force in the paint, recording five first-half blocks, shattering his previous career-high of three. With a relentless attack on both ends, FAU entered halftime with a commanding 40-22 advantage.
FAU wasted no time extending its lead after the break, as Miller drove to the basket for a quick bucket off an offensive rebound to push the margin to 20. The Owls continued to pile on with four consecutive three-pointers, including back-to-back makes from Miller, stretching the lead to as many as 31 points.
Miller completely took over in the second half, securing nine of his 10 rebounds and dishing out all five of his assists after the break. His blend of size, skill, and athleticism was on full display, highlighted by multiple highlight-worthy plays that left Tulsa searching for answers.
Kaleb Glenn added 11 points and seven rebounds for FAU, while Matas Vokietaitis provided a perfect shooting night, going 5-for-5 from the field for 11 points and six boards.
For Tulsa, Tyshawn Archie led the way with 11 points, while Dwon Odom and Braeden Carrington each chipped in 10. However, the Golden Hurricane struggled mightily against FAU’s suffocating defense, finishing the game shooting just 33% from the field and 22% from three-point range.
Florida Atlantic will look to build on this dominant victory when they host Charlotte on Monday, while Tulsa aims to bounce back with a road game at Temple on Wednesday. With Miller leading the charge, the Owls seem to be hitting their stride at the right time in AAC play.
