Vlad Goldin powers Florida Atlantic past Southern Methodist 80-70
BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic bounced back from last week’s heartbreaker at South Florida and exit from the Top 25 with an 80-70 win over Southern Methodist on Thursday night.
The Owls (21-6, 11-3 AAC) came into the matchup against the Mustangs (19-8, 10-4) undersized on the perimeter, but it never showed in the game or in the box score. FAU won the rebound battle 43-37 and had five players corral at least five rebounds while outscoring SMU 42-26 in the paint.
Vlad Goldin had a dominant effort, posting his third 20-point outing in the past four games. He finished with a game-high 21 points and five rebounds. Alijah Martin added 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists — and a "Dunk of the Year" candidate that blew the roof off the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
“[We] had the focus and look that we’ve been missing a little bit of lately, so it’s nice to have that back,” said FAU head coach Dusty May. “It’s just that time of year where this team has been through so much emotionally, and they can see the finish line. We’ve been in this spot before, so we know what it takes. Now we have to continue to take care of our bodies, ramp up our intensity, and play championship-level basketball.”
Here are three takeaways from the Owls’ gritty win over the Mustangs.
Two different halves for SMU’s offense
FAU had a solid start, shooting 17-of-34 from the floor in the first half. Yet, the Mustangs had a response for every big Owl bucket or run. FAU was poised on defense, blowing through screens set by bigger SMU forwards while using active hands to put together 9 points off five steals.
But Chuck Harris bailed SMU out time and time again by burying tough, contested midrange jumpers late on the shot clock. Harris finished the half with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
Neither team led by more than 6 points through the first 20 minutes, despite timely steals, dunks, and finishes through contact from the Owls. After entering the locker room down 41-37, SMU started the second half by going 3-of-11 from the floor with two turnovers through seven minutes as the Owls jumped out to a 13-point lead.
While Goldin set the tone down low, the Owls' guards stayed active on the perimeter and brought SMU’s midrange shooting back down to earth. After an explosive first half, Harris went 2-of-8 from the floor in the second half and finished with 15 points.
“We’re constantly telling each other that’s great defense — we love that shot,” Martin said. “We rely on them to take that every night, we love that.”
Goldin rose to the task down low
The Mustangs boast a starting lineup with three players above 6-foot-5, and both teams knew the battle in the paint would be the deciding factor early.
Goldin was the difference-maker. Included in his 21 points were nine of the Owls' 13 free throws, plus five rebounds and two blocks while altering numerous more.
On offense, his seals on the block kept SMU’s rim defenders busy, and it opened up a lot of clean looks inside and out. On defense, his presence in the paint kept the Mustangs from converting down low while the Owl guards were effective at switching everything. There were very few clean SMU looks in the second half.
“His hands and touch are disgusting for a 7-foot-1 player, so we’re just trying to find different ways to use him,” May said. “I thought his rim protection was the difference. He’s played really well offensively ... he was banged up in the middle of the year and our rim protection suffered because of that. And I thought tonight his instincts and aggressiveness around the rim was ultimately, probably the difference.”
A much-needed win at a pivotal point of the year
The Owls have fallen out of the Associated Press Top 25 after last Sunday's rally in Tampa fell short. FAU has a run of tough opponents to finish out the regular season, including home-and-home games against Memphis. With Thursday’s win, May and company are starting to piece together their best play of the year, and it couldn’t come at a better time.
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With Johnell Davis limited to 10 points, Goldin and Martin shouldered the scoring burden in a fashion that May has echoed all year; it could be anyone on any given night. As the implications for each remaining game affect postseason aspirations, May says there’s still time to be primed for the postseason.
“Expectations haven’t changed for us,” May said. “Obviously, we wanted to win a couple of championships, and one of them (regular-season conference title) is not where we want it to be, but we’re still in the picture. But most importantly, we’ve got to take care of Memphis (on the road Sunday) and go in one possession at a time, and we’re going to need a little help. But our goal from Day 1 had been to play our best basketball in March.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic Owls defeat Southern Methodist Mustangs in AAC basketball
