BOCA RATON, Fla. – Wichita State ran into a red-hot Florida Atlantic team Thursday night and could not recover from an early deficit, falling 85-67 at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. 

Wichita State (10-8, 2-3) never led and trailed for nearly the entire 40 minutes as Florida Atlantic (12-6, 4-1) shot 55.9 percent from the field and built a lead that reached as many as 29 points in the second half. The Owls' 55.9 percent shooting from the field was the highest Wichita State has allowed this season.

Will Berg led the Shockers with 14 points and eight rebounds. Dre Kindell added 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Karon Boyd chipped in 10 points to lead the double figure scorers. Kenyon Giles was held to a season-low two points on just five shot attempts. His streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer was snapped at 17.

Florida Atlantic set the tone early with defensive pressure and efficient scoring, opening the game on an 8-2 run and forcing Wichita State into multiple early turnovers. The Owls consistently converted those mistakes into points, particularly in transition, while Wichita State struggled to find a rhythm offensively.

Berg provided an early spark inside for the Shockers, scoring on second-chance opportunities and attacking the offensive glass, but FAU answered nearly every basket. A late first-half surge pushed the margin to double digits, capped by a last-second putback as FAU took a 37-25 lead into the break.

Any hopes of a Wichita State comeback were quickly dashed as Florida Atlantic opened the second half with a barrage of perimeter shooting and paint touches. The Owls extended the lead past 20 less than five minutes in and continued to capitalize on turnovers and fast-break chances.

Wichita State continued to compete offensively, scoring 42 points in the second half, but could not string together enough stops to seriously threaten. 

Florida Atlantic's balanced attack featured four players in double figures, led by Isaiah Elohim's 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Kanaan Carlyle added 18 points, while Devin Williams chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Up Next
Wichita State wraps up its Florida road swing on Sunday at South Florida with tip set for 1 p.m. CDT on ESPNU.