Wichita State pulled off a key American Athletic Conference victory on Thursday night, taking down Florida Atlantic 75-68 behind a standout performance from Xavier Bell. Bell led the Shockers with 24 points, shooting 8-of-19 from the field and an efficient 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Bijan Cortes played a pivotal role as well, scoring 16 points while dishing out seven assists. Harlond Beverly added 10 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting night, helping the Shockers improve to 16-10 overall and 6-7 in AAC play.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Florida Atlantic (15-11, 8-5 AAC). The Owls were led in scoring by sophomore forward Kaleb Glenn, who posted 16 points. Ken Evans and Tre Carroll each contributed 11 points, with Carroll adding four steals in a strong defensive effort.
Wichita State used a dominant 15-0 first-half run to take a 14-point lead before FAU fought back to make it an eight-point game at halftime, 36-28. Ronnie DeGray III led the Shockers in scoring at the break with nine points.
The Owls showed resilience in the second half, sparked by redshirt sophomore guard Niccolo Moretti, who scored five straight points as part of a 9-2 run to tie the game at 12 early on. Glenn’s aggressive play in the paint helped FAU grab its first lead of the second half at 48-47 with 12 minutes to play.
Wichita State regained momentum behind a seven-point burst but found itself in another deadlock with just seven minutes remaining. Cortes delivered the dagger, sinking a crucial 3-pointer with 6:38 left to put the Shockers ahead for good at 58-55.
FAU stayed within striking distance thanks to late triples from Carroll and Evans, giving the Owls 10 made three-pointers on the night. However, the Shockers held strong in the final moments to secure the road victory.
Florida Atlantic faces a quick turnaround, heading to Memphis to take on No. 22 Tigers on Sunday, Feb. 23. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST on ESPN2. Wichita State will look to build off this momentum as the conference tournament approaches.
