College basketball stunner: No. 14 FAU upsets No. 4 Arizona in double overtime
LAS VEGAS — In case you were wondering whether Florida Atlantic could pick up where it left off last season, it's time to stop. No. 14 FAU upset No. 4 Arizona 96-95 in double overtime Saturday afternoon in the Desert Classic at T-Mobile Arena.
Junior guard Johnell Davis scored 35 points, one short of his career high, and had nine rebounds to lead the Owls (10-2). It was their first double OT game since beating North Texas in February 2012. The Wildcats, who were ranked No. 1 from Dec. 4-18 before losing their first game of the season last week, fell to 9-2.
Giancarlo Rosado made the back end of two free throws with just under a minute remaining for what turned out to be the winning point for the Owls, who beat their second ranked opponent of the season as they look to show everyone that last season's run to the Final Four was not a fluke. FAU defeated then-No. 12 Texas A&M 96-89 on Nov. 24.
"Very resilient group. When I looked at them in the eyes at the end of regulation and the first overtime, they are fearless. The moment is never too big," FAU coach Dusty May said. "If a team is going to beat us, it is going to be because they outplay us and not because of the moment. These guys are competitors and hoopers."
Caleb Love, who led Arizona with 26 points, missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. He was one of five Wildcats to score in double figures. Pelle Larsson was the Wildcats’ next-highest scorer with 15 points.
In addition to Davis, Jalen Gaffney tied his career-high with 20 points for FAU - which beat a top 5 team during the regular season for the first time - and Alijah Martin had 13. Neutral site matchups have become natural for the Owls over the past two seasons, where FAU has amassed a record of 12-2.
"In the huddle with the team, I just kept telling them to believe, believe, believe that we were going to come out with the W," said Davis, who tied for fifth-most points in a FAU game.
Vladislav Goldin in foul trouble most of the game
Vladislav Goldin, who entered the game leading FAU in scoring (15.1 points per game) and rebounds (7.0) and the nation in shooting at 75.9%, was in foul trouble most of the game and picked up his fifth early in the first overtime. He finished with seven points and three rebounds.
This was the first loss in Las Vegas for Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who was 9-0 including back-to-back Pac-12 Conference tourney championships.
Both teams traded runs throughout the game to set up the final minutes of regulation.
Love put Arizona in front 73-71 with a 3-pointer with 1:09 left. FAU tied it with 7.2 seconds remaining when Gaffney rebounded Davis’ missed 3-point attempt and found Goldin alone under the basket for the dunk. Davis’ 3-footer with 10.2 seconds left put the Owls ahead 84-82 in the first overtime, and Love’s two free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining sent the game to another extra session.
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An early 14-0 run gave Arizona a 17-3 lead just over six minutes into the game, but FAU didn’t panic. Despite going more than six minutes without a field goal, the Owls slowly cut away at the deficit and were within 27-25 with 5:11 remaining in the first half.
FAU was down six at the break, but the Owls made their first six shots — going on an 11-0 run — and were up 47-41 with 16:33 left.
The Owls will take the week off before playing at Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 30 and then entering American Athletic Conference play for the first time.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic Owls upset Arizona Wildcats 96-95 in double overtime
