BOCA RATON, Fla. — Kaj-Björn Sherman registered his second double-double with a career-high 28 points to go along with 15 rebounds to lead UTSA to a 74-59 victory at Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.
Sherman went 8-of-14 from the field and added a career-best 12 free throws for the Roadrunners (12-10, 6-5 C-USA), who have won five of their last six games on the road. Fellow senior Jeromie Hill picked up his fourth consecutive double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Keon Lewis chipped in 14 points and a career-high seven boards.
UTSA shot 38.2 percent and held a 34-12 advantage in the paint. The visitors also pulled down a season-high 53 rebounds, including 21 offensive boards that led to 19 second-chance points.
Meanwhile, Marquan Botley paced the Owls (8-13, 1-9 C-USA) with 19 points and Jackson Trapp added 13. Florida Atlantic shot. just 32.3 percent from the field and hit 10 3-pointers on 37 attempts.
UTSA led by a basket at halftime and the game remained close through the first eight minutes of the second half.
C.J. Turman’s layup with 12 minutes to play trimmed the Roadrunners’ lead to 47-46, but the visitors outscored Florida Atlantic 14-3 over the next seven-and-a-half minutes to take control for good.
Sherman scored seven points at the free-throw line, while Hill and Christian Wilson added baskets during the stretch that ended with the Roadrunners ahead 61-49 with 4:38 to go.
Florida Atlantic would get within 67-59 with just 1:38 on the clock, but it would not score again.
UTSA finished the contest on a 7-0 spurt that was capped by Lewis’ three-point play to seal the 15-point win.
Both teams started slow from the field, but the Owls were able to hold the lead for most of the first half thanks to their six 3-pointers.
Layups by Sherman and Hill gave UTSA its first lead, 14-12, but Trapp followed with one of his three triples in the half to reclaim the advantage for Florida Atlantic. Another Sherman basket was answered by a trey from Trapp and the Owls led until the final minutes of the half.
Trailing 23-19, Hill scored a pair of baskets before Ryan Bowie hit a 15-foot jumper on the baseline to start an 11-2 UTSA run.
Thurman knotted the score at 25 with a jumper of his own, but Sherman scored UTSA’s final five points in the half to take a 30-25 lead.
However, Botley pulled the Owls within 30-28 at intermission with a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer.
UTSA will return home for a 7 p.m. matchup with Old Dominion (18-4, 7-3 C-USA) on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Convocation Center.