If you have seen any of the five matchups with FAU the last two seasons they were roughly like tonight: NT is good through the first 35 minutes up to and including a lead. Then it sort of falls apart. You can credit FAU for clutch shot-making. You can blame UNT for misses or poor execution. I am willing and ready to accept any explanation. The result is the same. Five losses in five tries. NT had a lead with 6:21 to go. A two point lead. They were tied at 58 with 5:36 to go. At 4:56 UAB took the lead for the final time.
You can look at the box and do some post-game analysis — the second chance points and points in the paint stand out. But it is all secondary. Under-5 minutes to go is Winning Time and a period of time that usually belongs to North Texas. For two seasons — including with Mac and Tylor Perry — NT has lost that time to FAU.
That’s about all I have for you there. NT had injuries throughout the season. So many pieces missed time. In this one, everyone was healthy and the new pieces did some damage. Twenty-six from Edwards. Thirteen from CJ Noland. Buggs with eight. Allen with four and eight rebounds.
In the biggest moments they came up a second. Goldin bullied Allen in the paint for an offensive rebound and an and-one. Elijah Martin got loose and hit a three. Edwards missed like five in the last two minutes. It just wan’t enough by the smallest number of margins. Again.
We’ll do a more thorough goodbye for the dudes that have been a big part of great times. Guys like Rubin Jones — Mr Win. Guys like Aaron Scott — Mr Hustle. For now, we say goodbye to the season.
Even with the NIT heavily favoring power five squads and then getting turned down by programs not nearly interested, I don’t imagine NT has an NIT trip in their immediate future. So this is it. NT felled by a generational FAU squad that seemingly manifested from thin air. If we had to go out vs anyone, I’m glad it was a former CUSA powerhouse and not like, SMU.
I agree that if we have to get bounced it’s more palatable to get done by FAU or one of our ex-CUSA homies.
That being said, I hope all of their players get big NIL deals at different bottom feeder power conference programs, that May has a long career going around .500 at Illinois or someplace like that, and the next FAU coach is a Tony Benford knockoff and that they can’t get their shit together for at least a decade afterward.