Caleb Love kept hitting big shots.
But his last one rimmed out and Johnell Davis had too many answers as No. 14 FAU edged No. 4 Arizona in a 96-95 double overtime thriller Saturday at the Desert Classic in Las Vegas.
Davis posted a game-high 35 points to lift the Owls to victory in a game that had the energy of a high-stakes March showdown. The Wildcats had a chance to win at the second overtime buzzer. But Love’s long-distance shot as time expired rimmed out, securing victory for the Owls.
Caleb Love’s 3 pointer rolls out at the buzzer and #14 FAU pulls off the upset in an INSTANT CLASSIC 96-95 in 2OT over #4 Arizona in the Desert Holiday Classic pic.twitter.com/ezrix1LnLp
— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) December 23, 2023
Love finished with 26 points while hitting several big shots to keep the Wildcats alive late in regulation and through the extra sessions. But the Owls proved too much to overcome down the stretch.
Arizona jumped out to an early 21-12 lead and carried a 37-31 edge into halftime. The Owls then took their first lead of the game at 43-41 early in the second half, and the teams traded blows from there.
With FAU leading, 71-70 late in regulation, Love hit a 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining to put the Wildcats back on top.
But Jalen Gaffney found Vladislav Goldin wide open under the basket for a game-tying dunk in the final seconds of regulation to force the first extra session.
The teams continued to battle back and forth in the first overtime session that saw three lead changes and four ties. FAU took an 82-79 lead on a pair of Davis free throws with 58 seconds left. Love countered with a 3-pointer to tie the game with 37.2 seconds remaining.
Davis answered with a layup in traffic on the other end to retake an 84-82 lead with 10.2 seconds remaining. The bucket marked his seventh and eighth points of overtime.
Love countered with two free throws to force the second overtime. But FAU wouldn’t trail again.
Gaffney opened the scoring in the second overtime with a layup to give FAU an 86-84 lead. Arizona answered three times to tie the game, including a pair of Love free throws to knot things up at 95-95.
Giancarlo Rosado then hit 1 of 2 free throws to give the Owls a one-point edge with 57 seconds remaining. His free throw ultimately set up Love’s would-be game-winner at the buzzer that bounced off the back of the rim.
Davis finished with 35 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals while shooting 15 of 27 from the floor. Love was considerably less efficient on an 8-of-25 shooting night while tallying 25 points and five rebounds. He hit all six of his free throws and 4 of 12 3-point attempts.
FAU was more efficient as a team while shooting 50% from the floor against a 38.8% effort by Arizona.
The win is the third straight for FAU (10-2) after losing to then-No. 20 Illinois on Dec. 5. The loss is the second in three games for Arizona (9-2) following an 8-0 start that had the Wildcats ranked No. 1. They previously lost to now-No. 1 Purdue on Dec. 16.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
