Men’s Basketball: Owls continue losing woes, falter 86-75 to UTSA

This marks the third straight loss for the Owls.

Karlis Silins (#25) had 15 points and nine rebounds in Saturdays loss to UTSA. Photo by Eston Parker III.

Eston Parker III

Karlis Silins (#25) had 15 points and nine rebounds in Saturday’s loss to UTSA. Photo by Eston Parker III.

Richard Pereira, Sports Editor

FAU men’s basketball (8-9, 3-5 C-USA) extended its losing streak to three on Saturday afternoon, as the team lost on the road to the University of Texas at San Antonio (12-9, 8-6 C-USA) 86-75. 

The first half began with the Roadrunners striking first, going up 12-4 in the first five minutes of the game. Despite that, the Owls would respond by keeping the game competitive for the rest of the half.

Perimeter shooting made the difference between the two teams at halftime. While the Owls were below average, shooting 2-8 from three, the Roadrunners made five out of their 10 three-pointers.

UTSA benefited greatly from the second half. It extended its lead to double-digits, as the Owls suffered a four-minute drought where they could not make a shot.

While the Owls made consecutive three-pointers to keep the game relatively close at the end, it was too late for it to make a significant difference.

Junior forward Karlis Silins and sophomore guard Kenan Blackshear were the Owls’ leading scorers with 15 points apiece. Freshman guard Nicholas Boyd contributed with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists off the bench, while freshman forward Giancarlo Rosado had 10 points and three rebounds.

UTSA’s best performer in this game was senior guard Jhivvan Jackson. He scored a game-high 20 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. Notable contributors were redshirt junior guard Eric Parrish and sophomore guard Erik Czumbel, combining for 26 points off the bench. 

The Owls will play their next double-header in the Burrow against the University of Texas at El Paso on Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. and Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Richard Pereira is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @Rich26Pereira.