In Fort Worth, Texas, Matas Vokietaitis was a key player in Florida Atlantic’s 64-59 triumph over Charlotte during the second round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. This win advances the fifth-seeded Owls, who now hold an 18-14 record, to face No. 4 seed Tulane in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Vokietaitis led the scoring for Florida Atlantic with 17 points and contributed significantly on defense with seven rebounds. Baba added 13 points, delivering efficient shooting at 5 for 9 from the field, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc, alongside collecting five rebounds, although his performance from the free-throw line was less effective, making 2 out of 8 attempts. Tre Carroll also played an instrumental role with his 12 points, nailing 3 of 7 field goals and maintaining a perfect 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
For Charlotte, who concluded their season with an 11-22 record, Nik Graves emerged as the top scorer, amassing 14 points. He also impressed with seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Teammate Giancarlo Rosado supported the effort with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Robert Braswell added another 10 points to the scoreline.
During the game, Florida Atlantic took a narrow 29-27 lead at halftime, bolstered by Vokietaitis scoring 12 points in the first half. In the second half, a critical moment came when Carroll secured a layup with 15:17 left on the clock, giving Florida Atlantic a lead at 35-33 that they would not relinquish.