BOCA RATON — Of all the ways Florida Atlantic would have liked a crucial three-game slate against three rival teams to start, falling behind by 17 points in the first half at home in an eventual 77-66 loss to Southern Miss was far from ideal.
In the first game of a crucial three-game series against Southern Miss, Western Kentucky, and Marshall, the Owls (10-13, 4-7 Conference USA) instead fell flat for most of their first loss to the Golden Eagles (12-12, 6-6) in two years. Aside from a couple of second-half runs that briefly narrowed the deficit to single digits, FAU’s efforts could be described as “ugly” at best.