In a true AAC battle that developed to be a game of runs between either side, it was ECU who outlasted Tulsa, using a 42-16 points in the paint advantage to hold off 29 points from Pj Haggerty and defeat the Golden Hurricane 84-79.
G Johnell Davis: Co-Player of the Year (with USF Chris Youngblood) & First Team All Conference (Unanimous Vote)
Nolan Hickman recorded 20 points and six assists to help No. 17 Gonzaga post an 89-77 victory over San Francisco on Monday night in Las Vegas to reach the championship game of the West Coast Conference tournament.
The season finale matchup between FAU (24-7 14-4 AAC) and Memphis (22-9 11-7 AAC) was built up with immense anticipation since it was placed on the docket, and it lived up to every ounce of the hype.
For FAU, if they are able to come out on top, it silences any Bracketology doubters in terms of the Owls ability to receive an at-large bid, which they most likely already have, however a win would put that to lock status. A win also guarantees the team the #2 seed in the AAC, and possibility sets up a bracket to where a matchup with USF could be in-store in the finals of the tournament.
It’s not FAU Vs North Texas in MBB unless fans are on the edge of their seats during at least one point of the game and Wednesday night was no different.
It was important for FAU to bounce back following the tough loss to Memphis, and they did exactly that, finding their balanced offensive attack and getting a swarming team effort defensively. Although the Owls didn’t have the most effective game from deep, they made important triples which helped space the offense and open up opportunities for Vlad to succeed down low.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup between FAU and Memphis was a thriller that saw both sides exchanging leads and playing hard nosed basketball. In the end, however, it was the Memphis Tigers who defended their home court and used big moments in the second half to power through FAU, 78-74.
USF defended home court, and took firm control of the AAC, defeating state rival FAU in front of a hyped fanbase, 90-86. USF led for over 37 minutes of this game and held on to win despite a ferocious 2nd half comeback effort from FAU and 23 points from Vlad Goldin and 20 from Johnell Davis.