The Florida Atlantic University Owls (6-13, 1-7 AAC) secured a 63-56 road win against the Wichita State University Shockers (6-15, 2-7 AAC) to snap their eight-game losing streak. 

This is the team’s first win in both conference play and as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

“Getting the first win in the [AAC] is huge. Winning on the road was huge. Just a tough battle from start to finish, and our kids did it,” said head coach Jennifer Sullivan.

This feat comes just two days after a disappointing 78-74 loss against East Carolina University, where a career-high 30-point performance from Aniya Hubbard could not lift FAU to a win. 

“They’ve [been showing] up every day and practicing hard. I’ve told them there’s a lot of games left to be played. We’re still trying to figure things out, and I think this is a big step for us in the right direction,” said Sullivan. 

Despite a back-and-forth game, FAU entered each of the first three periods with a lead. Though it wasn’t until a 5-0 run from Wichita State with 7:39 left that gave them the lead in the fourth quarter.

Fortunately for the Owls, Mya Perry and Hubbard took over after losing the lead, starting with a three-pointer from Perry that gave the lead back to the Owls. The duo led the charge for FAU in the fourth quarter, being the only players to make field goals for the Owls that quarter.

Perry ended the game with 12 points, and Hubbard with 21 off the bench. Alexa Zalph also contributed 10 points on an efficient 4-7 from the field. 

The Owls will look to stack another win in their next game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham (15-4, AAC 6-1) on Jan. 31 at 7:00 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+. 

JD Delcastillo is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email him at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @jd.delcastillo or X (Twitter) @jd_delcastillo.