Lendeborg has 17 points, 21 boards to help UAB top No. 20 Florida Atlantic 76-73 in overtime
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 17 points and a season-high 21 rebounds, and Efrem Johnson made a big 3-pointer in overtime to lift UAB to a 76-73 win over No. 20 Florida Atlantic on Thursday night.
It was the Blazers’ second victory over a ranked American Athletic Conference opponent in less than two weeks. They also beat then-No. 19 Memphis on Jan. 28.
With the Owls missing their first six shots in overtime, UAB (15-8, 6-4 AAC) surged to a six-point lead. Nick Boyd’s 3-pointer cut that in half for Florida Atlantic with 1:46 left.
UAB then twice worked down the shot clock and grabbed offensive rebounds to play keep-away with the ball. Johnson’s 3-pointer from the top of the key made it 76-70 with 31 seconds to play.
Alijah Martin missed a 3 at the other end but made his second try. Eric Gaines missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 10 seconds left, giving Florida Atlantic another chance, but Johnell Davis missed a contested 3 in the final seconds.
Florida Atlantic (18-5, 8-2) fell a game behind league-leading South Florida in the standings.
UAB had five scorers in double figures. Gaines had 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Christian Coleman and Johnson scored 14 apiece, and Alejandro Vasquez added 13 points.
Davis led Florida Atlantic with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists despite 5-of-21 shooting. Martin finished with 14 points and Brandon Weatherspoon had 12.
The Owls erased a seven-point deficit over the final five minutes of regulation, and the game went into overtime after both teams missed a pair of shots.
The Blazers, who trailed by seven at halftime, caught up when Florida Atlantic missed nine straight shots over a span of six-plus minutes.
Vasquez pushed it to 62-55 with 5:21 left on a pair of free throws and a layup.
Davis, who missed his first four 3-pointers, and Jalen Gaffney both made 3s for the Owls to close the gap.
UAB’s Javian Davis and Florida Atlantic center Vlad Goldin were called for double technicals early in the second half. The two had gotten tangled up away from the ball and Goldin went chest to chest with Davis, then went to the ground after a shove from him.
That gave Davis four fouls with 17:34 left and he fouled out in the final minutes with two points, eight below his season average.
BIG PICTURE
Florida Atlantic: Shot just 33.8% from the field and fell to 0-8 at Bartow Arena.
UAB: Made 14 of 17 free throws. … Lendeborg had just eight points and five rebounds in the first meeting, an 86-73 Florida Atlantic win in Boca Raton.
UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic plays at Wichita State on Sunday.
UAB visits Tulsa on Sunday.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball