The No. 15 Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team (9-2) pulled away against St. Bonaventure University Bonnies (7-3) Saturday night with a 64-54 win in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.

“We’re extremely excited to head back to Florida with a gritty win under our belt. St. Bonaventure came out early and played with unbelievable physicality, had us on our heels a little bit,” said head coach Dusty May. “Our guys responded and we got great contributions from a lot of guys.” 

The Owls struggled to find an offensive flow in the first half despite junior guard Brandon Weatherspoon knocking down a three-pointer after the opening tip.

The Bonnies tested the Owls on both sides, dominating inside the paint and forcing FAU to rush shots. They went on an 11-0 run, leaving the Owls unable to score for almost eight minutes. St. Bonaventure’s defense disrupted the Owls to six points on transition baskets in the first half.

Limiting the turnovers in the last six minutes, FAU pulled back into the game, utilizing junior forward Giancarlo Rosado at center. The Owls scored eight points in the paint, junior guard Alijah Martin’s basket chipped away at the Bonnies’ seven-point Bonnies’ seven-point lead. 

Senior guard Bryan Greenlee’s turnaround jumper cut St. Bonaventure’s lead to two. On FAU’s next offensive possession, junior guard Johnell Davis found Greenlee open in the corner for the lead. It would be the Owls’ first lead since 14:47.

The Owls closed out the last 2:47 with a 9-0 run, ending the stretch with an improved defensive effort and limiting second-chance opportunities for the Bonnies. FAU entered the half up 27-26.

St. Bonaventure opened the second half with a 6-0 run before Davis would answer with an open three. In a closely played game, the Bonnies maintained their lead while the Owls chipped away. 

On back-to-back possessions for FAU, Davis found junior center Vlad Goldin both times for two uncontested dunks, giving the team the one-point lead.

“I thought Johnell did a great job at being a decoy; his cuts drew two or three defenders, opened up some space for other guys, and then that ended up freeing him later on in the game,” said May. “But I thought it was just guys creating offense for their teammates because St. Bonaventure came into the game to neutralize these two.”

Goldin’s missed foul shot forced a long rebound that Owls’ sophomore forward Brenen Lorient kept alive, and Davis found himself with the ball and two quick points. After a seven-game absence, redshirt sophomore guard Nick Boyd returned and drilled a big-time three, extending FAU’s lead to eight with 7:50 left.

FAU found their offensive flow, going on a 14-0 run after a Greenlee 3-point play gave the Owls an 11-point lead 

The Owls defense came alive the last six minutes of the game. Greenlee’s defensive pressure created havoc, disrupting the Bonnies’ offense. FAU forced 21 turnovers.

A difference-maker for St. Bonaventure in the game, redshirt junior forward Chad Venning found himself on the bench after Greenlee forced him to foul out.

Despite 11 points, the 6 ’10” forward limited Owls’ leading scorer, Goldin, to just two points in the first half. Venning’s size alone made him a presence in the paint, the Owls having a hard time finishing around the rim. 

The Owls’ defense forced another turnover, resulting in Goldin’s third game dunk resulting in Goldin’s third game dunk. He gave FAU their largest lead of the night with 12. The Bonnies redshirt junior guard Moses Flowers’ back-to-back threes made it a two-possession ball game before Martin’s second chance put-back. 

FAU finished 41% from the field and 25% from the arc but found 24 points off turnovers. Davis led the team with 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. 

Florida Atlantic will travel to Las Vegas to face the No. 1 University of Arizona Wildcats (8-1) on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 3:00 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. The game will stream on Fox.

Gianna Alberti is a staff writer at the University Press. Email her at galberti2021@fau.edu or @giannaalbertii on Instagram for information regarding this or other stories.