Top 25 roundup: Johnell Davis makes game-winner for No. 22 FAU

 

[January 29, 2024]  Johnell Davis leaned in and stroked a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left as No. 22 Florida Atlantic beat North Texas 66-63 for its sixth straight win Sunday afternoon in Boca Raton, Fla.

In a back-and-forth second half that saw neither side lead by more than four points over the final 17:09, Davis hit his sixth trey late in the possession after snaring his eighth rebound with 21 seconds to go. Davis finished with a game-high 28 points.

Vladislav Goldin managed 13 points and eight rebounds for the Owls (17-4, 7-1 American Athletic Conference), who improved to 8-1 at home and moved back into a tie atop the conference.

The Mean Green (12-7, 5-2) used their defense and 3-point shooting (8-of-20, 40 percent) to stay in the tight game but lost for the second time in the past nine outings. Robert Allen had 15 points and six rebounds, while CJ Noland and Jason Edwards had 14 points apiece. Reserve guard John Buggs III scored 12 points by making 4 of 5 shots from distance.

No. 1 UConn 99, Xavier 56

The Huskies scored the game's first 10 points, ran out to a 38-7 lead and looked like the best team in the country during their rout of the visiting Musketeers in Hartford, Conn.

Tristen Newton made 9 of 14 field-goal attempts and led UConn (18-2, 8-1 Big East) with 22 points. Donovan Clingan added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Huskies, who made a season-high 17 3-pointers. They also received 12 points apiece from Solomon Ball and Stephon Castle.

Dayvion McKnight led Xavier (10-10, 4-5) with 18 points. Quincy Olivari scored 14 and Desmond Claude finished with 11 as Xavier trailed by as many as 44 in the second half.

No. 2 Purdue 68, Rutgers 60

Zach Edey scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half and the Boilermakers staved off the host Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, N.J.

Edey added 12 rebounds and four blocks and Braden Smith put up 19 points as Purdue (19-2, 8-2 Big Ten) won its fifth in a row and broke a three-game losing streak at Rutgers.

Jan 28, 2024; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls guard Johnell Davis (1) drives to the basket past North Texas Mean Green guard Rondel Walker (5) during the second half at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue led by 14 early in the second half but watched the Scarlet Knights (10-9, 2-6) draw within 50-48 in the closing minutes. Aundre Hyatt scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the period. The Scarlet Knights shot 50 percent after intermission but just 37.5 percent for the game, while Purdue finished 48.9 percent from the floor.

UAB 97, No. 19 Memphis 88

Yaxel Lendeborg scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as the Blazers made it three straight losses for the Tigers with an American Athletic Conference win in Birmingham, Ala.

Lendeborg grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, making him just the third player in conference history to do so. He also dished out four assists as the Blazers (13-7, 5-2 AAC) beat a ranked Memphis team for just the second time in 16 attempts. Eric Gaines added 20 points, while Efrem Johnson and reserve Daniel Ortiz tallied 12 apiece.

David Jones scored a game-high 24 points for Memphis (15-5, 4-3) but also committed nine of the team's 22 turnovers. Malcolm Dandridge added 19 and Jahvon Quinerly chipped in 12 points but connected on just 4 of 15 shots.

--Field Level Media

[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]
 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.