Poor free throw shooting for the Owls was one of the deciding factors in the loss.

FAU shot seven of 18 from the free throw line. Despite taking the lead at 57-56 with 7:34 to go, the Owls missed seven of its last 10 foul shots down the stretch.

“[If we] make free throws, I think we win the game,” said Jarvis. “There’s no excuse.”

Owls guard Ray Taylor, after a 10 assist game against Warner Southern , scored 20 points off the bench, to go with 4 assists and 3 steals. Taylor knocked in four of his seven 3-point attempts.

Taylor showed flashes of greatness throughout the game, such as his trick pass off the back of an unknowing Bulldogs defender, Dee Bost, that he turned into an easy layup. Taylor’s play was #2 on Sportscenter’s top 10 plays of the day. Yet, Taylor’s ballhandling left Jarvis unimpressed.

“Better, but still not good enough,” Jarvis said of Taylor’s play tonight. “He had two crucial turnovers. He played a very good game, but can play better.”

FAU got down 19-9 early. The Owls made only three of their first 15 shots, but the team would heat up, cutting the deficit to 32-26 after Ray Taylor scored nine straight points during the first half for FAU. The Bulldogs would close the half on a 7-3 run, taking a 39-29 lead into halftime.

The Owls took the lead for the first time at 55-54 as Ray Taylor zipped a pass to Pablo Bertone for a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 9:19 remaining in the game. A 13-2 run capped off by a Pablo Bertone layup from Ray Taylor gave the Owls a 57-56 lead over the Bulldogs with 7:34 to play.

Bertone finished the game with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Early in the second half, FAU cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 41-39 after a Pablo Bertone steal led to a Greg Gantt 3-pointer. Gantt struggled, scoring five points and grabbing just one rebound.

“Greg Gantt needs to start rebounding better,” Jarvis said. “One rebound is not acceptable.”

FAU forward Kore White added 12 points, seven rebounds and a block, yet his inconsistent play this season has his coach befuddled. Jarvis said after the game that White had a good game, something he needs to get out of his big-man “every game”.

The Owls could not take advantage of Bulldogs forward Renardo Sidney picking up his 4th foul with just over five minutes to play, as Dee Bost and Rodney Hood combined to score 10 of the last 12 points of the game for Mississippi State to close out FAU.

The Owls 3-point shooting kept the game close, as the team shot nine of 20 from behind the arc. Freshman guard Omari Grier hit two 3-pointers off the bench for FAU.

“When we had the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin,” said Jarvis. “We didn’t.”

On Dec. 17 at 12:00 p.m, FAU plays the University of Miami at The Bank Atlantic Center in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.