BOCA RATON, Fla. — Giovanni De Nicolao led four players in double-figures with 15 points, but Adonis Filer came off the bench to pour in 20 points and lift Florida Atlantic to a 73-66 victory against UTSA on Saturday night at FAU Arena.
De Nicolao went 6-of-10 from the floor and added a pair of steals, a block and a rebound to his stat line to lead the Roadrunners (12-17, 7-9 C-USA). Gino Littles added 14 points and six rebounds, while Jeff Beverly and Byron Frohnen each finished with 11 points.
UTSA scored 17 points off 15 turnovers, including six points off three miscues in the final two minutes, and the visitors totaled 11 steals.
Meanwhile, Filer went 5-of-10 from the floor and 9-of-10 at the charity stripe to pace the Owls (10-17, 6-10 C-USA), who shot 43.9 percent in the contest and totaled 36 points in the paint. Nick Rutherford was the only other player in double-figures with 14 points to go along with eight rebounds.
De Nicolao got UTSA on the board first as the Roadrunners led four times in the opening minutes before the Owls went on an 8-0 run to grab a 13-6 lead. Florida Atlantic held a 16-9 lead, but UTSA outscored the home squad 12-5 over a six-minute stretch to knot the score at 21.
De Nicolao and Beverly scored four points apiece during the stretch that also included baskets by Nick Allen and George Willborn III.
However, the Owls responded with a 7-2 spurt and an 8-1 stretch minutes later gave Florida Atlantic a nine-point edge, its largest of the half. A Frohnen layup on the final possession of the first half cut the deficit to 36-29 at intermission.
Beverly hit a jumper on the Roadrunners' first possession of the second half only to watch Florida Atlantic respond with a 10-0 run for a 46-31 advantage. The home squad led by as much as 54-38 with 8:35 to play.
However, UTSA would not go away and a hustle play by Austin Karrer helped breathe some life into the squad and spark an 8-0 UTSA run. The junior cut an Owls possession short when he dove on the floor after a loose ball and called timeout.
Allen made a pair of free throws that were followed by baskets from Littles and Frohnen to cut the deficit to 56-49 with five minutes left. But Filer put an end to the run with a 3-pointer and a three-point play.
UTSA would make one last push in the final two minutes with a full-court press that led to three Owls turnovers. The Roadrunners would get as close as six twice following a 3-pointer by Willborn III and a De Nicolao layup, but it could get no closer.
Florida Atlantic made seven free throws in the final two minutes to seal the 73-66 victory.
UTSA will close the regular season with a pair of games at the Convocation Center next week, beginning with a 7 p.m. matchup on Thursday, March 2, against Charlotte (12-15, 6-10 C-USA).
