Conference play began for FAU on Thursday night and after one game the Owls hit a bump in the road. FAU developed a bit of a competitive rivalry with Memphis over the past 3 matchups, however this matchup went the way of the Tigers in a big way as they dominated FAU in the second half en route to a 90-62 victory.
Memphis started the game on a 9-0 run and almost instantly the Owls were facing an up-hill battle against one of the best teams in the AAC. Memphis was dominating early as they jumped out to a 10-0 advantage in rebounds and their physicality was giving FAU problems on both ends of the court.
Things did settle down for FAU slightly in the first half as they kept the deficit within 10, cutting it to single digits at times, however their offense was lacking the 3 point shot and Memphis was limiting interior chances which left the offense in a rough place at times, while on the other end Memphis was battling for offensive rebounds consistently and converting on their open looks from beyond the arc. With the Owls struggling to find consistent offense Memphis ran away in the second half, using physicality to get buckets at the rim from Dain Dainja, Moussa Cisse and PJ Haggerty and spot-up shooting from Tyrese Hunter to outscore FAU 48-30 in the second half.
It was an unfortunate loss for the Owls, as the struggles that plagued them at times throughout various points this season all came together at once, as they struggled with both perimeter shooting and defense, while the lack of triples offensively left them without direction at times. For FAU coach John Jakus, the key to this loss is not letting Memphis beat them twice, as there will be a lot to learn from this game, however the quick turnaround of conference play will require them to move on quickly.
“No, I spent extra time in there. I appreciate you guys waiting. It’s because, you know, when you get in a conference play, like we’re gonna turn around and we’re gonna get on a plane Saturday, and then we’re gonna play again Sunday, and there’s no pause from here that the fastest 10 weeks are the next 10 weeks, because conference is just over and over. So we spent a lot of time about already moving on, and you’re 100% right. You can’t let a game like this beat you twice. And so we’re gonna wash it specifically. The thing we could probably control is just getting in the gym and making open shots, even when you’re tired, because we’re not gonna be able to practice a bunch of tomorrow. We can come in and get a scout right and I would say, just make some shots and move on,” Jakus said.
The Owls battled in certain aspects tonight, as they won the turnover battle 19-13 and points off those turnovers 25-15, also winning the offensive rebound battle 19-13. Despite FAU’s success in turning over Memphis’s guard trio, the Owls inconsistencies from beyond the arc left them unable to capitalize off those turnovers or second chances that they created on the glass.
In 4 out of their last 5 losses, the Owls have shot 31% or less from beyond the arc, while in 3 of those matchups they have been under 20%, while defensively in 4 out of their last 5 losses their opponents have shot 45% or better from 3. In their 3 game win streak over FIU, Jacksonville and Texas State, FAU looked to have found a balance between their abundance of 3 point shooting and using their size to get to the rim and free throw line, however in their past 2 losses they faced more physical teams who limited their paint access and in turn it left their offense scuffling at times.
The Owls finished 5 of 31 from beyond the arc in this one, their lowest 3 point percentage of the season en route to their worst loss in 3 years and while Memphis found success down low and beyond the arc, FAU had neither. When asked after the game if he had thought about shifting the offensive game plan, Jakus did not say, however he did mention how they looked to exploit Memphis defensively.
“The thing is, the lack of ball reversal and paint touch is where we break down. And so I know that we’re into the very first shot, and we want to get that in the first seven seconds. But after, specifically with their two bigs, you’ve got to make them move horizontally and laterally. And the teams that have done that have had success. The teams that have not done it have not. They’re good for a reason, and we did not make their 5’s move. So it’s much more about how you make them go side to side than it is other teams,” Jakus said.
FAU was led tonight by Kaleb Glenn who finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, while Baba Miller led all starters with 10 points and 5 rebounds and they two were the only Owls in double figures on the evening. At times this season FAU has been able to get a spark off of the bench from multiple different players, however tonight the offensive struggles plagued nearly the entire team.
The Owls have the size to compete with anyone in the AAC, however tonight was an example of even with their height advantage it is nearly impossible to overcome a lack of consistent 3 point shooting. According to Jakus after the game, FAU missed 14 of 18 uncontested triples and if the offense is creating open looks and they are just unable to convert, the hope is at some point the shots will start falling.
This matchup between Memphis and FAU was a lot different than the last 3 closely contested matchups dating back to the 2023 NCAA tournament, however that isn’t very surprising considering both of these teams underwent immense change. According to Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, he has immense respect for this FAU team, however he notes one of the biggest differences between the FAU teams of old and this one is the lack of a go-to scorer.
“I respect everybody on this stat sheet, but I think the biggest thing is it’s a totally different coaching staff. It’s totally different systems, totally different players. The previous teams that we played, they had go to guys that they can give the ball to and get a basket whenever they wanted. Right now, this team is learning… This team is going to be really scary if they can keep this group together and just keep adding pieces,” Hardaway said.
The go-to scorer approach doesn’t necessarily fit this style of FAU offense, however as conference play wages on it will be interesting to watch if someone develops into that type of “get a basket” type player, or if the any player on any given night approach develops more consistency. The Owls will be back in action on Sunday with a road matchup against ECU at 1 pm from Greenville.