Tuesday Recap: FAU surprises, Monmouth powers up, URI, Wichita State win with defense and more

Tuesday provided everything a mid-major fan could ask for.

There were overtime games, quality road wins, career-high stats, conference play and, most notably, a thriller in Columbus.

Here are the highlights:

FAU steals the show

A behind-the-back dribble to the right hand, followed by a double cross from right to left gave Nick Rutherford the room for the lefty floater that lifted FAU to a 79-77 overtime win at Ohio State. The Owls got the gritty win through timely defense and three-point shooting. They were led by 23 points from Adonis Filer and improved to 3-5. Ellie Lieberman has more coverage here.

Monmouth uses a second half surge for second conference win

Wagner jumped out to a 12-point lead against Monmouth, but the Hawks found their groove - and defensive intensity - during the second half. Justin Robinson poured in 33 points, including six three’s, to lead the Hawks to a 81-71 victory. Monmouth is now sporting a six-game winning streak.

Rhode Island relies on defense to bounce back

Coming off back-to-back tough losses, URI was fueled by lock down defense against Old Dominion. The Monarchs shot just 29 percent from the floor, including 0-for-6 from three, and committed 19 turnovers. The Rams had a rough night shooting as well, yet got 15 points from E.C. Matthews en route to a 51-39 win.

Wichita State rolls against Saint Louis

Talk about defense. Saint Louis was cold from everywhere as Wichita State gave up just nine points (NINE) first half points. The Shockers impressed on both ends of the floor, with a balanced offense and hard-nosed defense. Rashard Kelly scored a career-high 15 points as the Shockers got their their sixth 30+ plus point win of the season, and 42nd consecutive home victory against a non-conference opponent.

Utah Valley came up short in the final minute

With two minutes to play the Wolverines were in the driver’s seat leading Utah 78-75. Some late game miscues cost UVU in an eventual 87-80 loss, letting another PAC-12 win slip away in the final minutes after a near-miss against Washington State earlier this year.

Belmont forces overtime, Rallies past Lipscomb

Taylor Barnette hit a three-pointer with 3.4 seconds left in overtime to push Belmont past Lipscomb in the Battle of the Boulevard. It was the second time this season the Bruins have topped Lipscomb at the buzzer. They improve to 4-3 on the season after clawing back from a 10-point halftime deficit. Belmont needed this win ahead of a big showdown with MTSU on Dec. 14.

Pearl Harbor Invitational

The two mid-major participants both suffered 11 points losses. Princeton lead 20-18 at the half, but Cal scored 44 second half points to win 62-51. Hawaii battled throughout the night but Seton Hall was too much, taking the late game 68-57. Khadeen Carrington scored 19 points for Hawaii. The action continues from Pearl Harbor Wednesday as the Rainbow Warriors face the Tigers.

Other Mid Major Action:

• Chattanooga (7-2) continues its impressive play with a come from behind 96-85 victory over Marshall. Tre’ McLean had a career-high 35 points.
• Fort Wayne won the second half against Notre Dame, but it wasn't enough as the Mastadons fell 87-72.
• Harvard picked up a home win, beating Northeastern 86-80 by shooting 51.9 percent from beyond the arc.
• St. Bonaventure (6-2) closed out a game in which they led by double-figures, only to see Hofstra come back, before the Bonnies grasped control for a 81-75 victory.
• Central Michigan (8-2) cracked the century mark in a high scoring affair and defeated Green Bay 107-97. Marcus Keene scored 40 points for the Chippewas.
• Bucknell (7-3) has now won five out of its last six with a 75-64 road win at Fairfield.
• UNC Asheville (6-3) got 17 points from Kevin Vannatta in a double-digt win at Elon. The Bulldogs only loss in the past seven games is to Kansas.
• NC Central (6-3) got back in the win column 79-56 taking down LIU Brooklyn. Del’Vin Dickerson dropped 23 points and Patrick Cole recorded a double-double with 18 points and a career-high 13 assists.
• In the late night action, San Francisco won to move to 7-1, the team’s best start since 1999-2000.