NASSAU, Bahamas -- The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team's furious comeback from a 14-point, second-half deficit fell one possession short on Sunday afternoon as the Cardinals lost a 71-68 contest to Florida Atlantic in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase.
 
Down by one point with possession of the ball and with less than one-minute remaining, the Cardinals could not garner the go-ahead bucket. FAU's two subsequent free throws constituted the winning margin.
 
UIW is now 4-3 on the year.
 
SUPERLATIVES

• Sophomore Augustine Ene, who led the comeback with muscle under the basket and a sharp-shooting eye, led all Cardinal scorers with 18 points. He had four rebounds.
• Freshman Morgan Taylor scored 13.
• Taylor scored five points in the waning seconds of the first half to turn a four-point deficit into a one-point UIW lead at halftime.
• UIW hit six three-point field goals.
• The Cardinals hit 18 of 21 free throws. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half:

• UIW started Antoine Smith Jr., Cody Graham, Charles Brown III, Taylor and Jorden Kite.
• FAU took a 7-0 lead, but UIW rallied for a 14-11 advantage using three-pointers by Brown, Kite, and Ene.
• FAU went on an 8-0 run to take a 19-14 lead.
• Two free throws by Taylor cut the FAU lead to four, 22-18, with eight minutes left.
• Taylor's layup at 7:17 reduced the FAU lead to two, 22-20.
• Just a short time later, Brown's jumper pulled UIW within two again, 24-22.
• Both teams then hit a cold streak, with neither scoring for four minutes.
• Brown hit a short jumper to tie the score, 24-24, with 2:50 left.
• FAU took a four-point lead at the 1:20 mark.
• Taylor, fouled in the act of shooting beyond the arc, hit three free throws with 19.5 seconds left to close the gap to one, 28-27.
• Then, Taylor stole the ball and beat the buzzer with a layup that gave UIW a 29-28 halftime lead.
• The lead changed hands three times and the game was tied on four occasions.
• Brown led UIW scorers with nine points; Taylor had eight.

Second Half:

• Taylor hit two free throws at 19:31 to give UIW a three-point lead.
• The teams traded three-pointers, with UIW reclaiming a 35-34 lead on Smith's behind-the-arc basket at the 18:02 mark.
• Smith then hit another three-point shot.
• At 15:22, Ene stole the ball and drove the length of the court for a layup that put UIW ahead.
• During a three and one-half minute period beginning at the 15:20 mark, FAU outscored UIW, 16-0.
• UIW began chipping away, cutting a 14-point FAU lead to nine with 8:41 remaining.
• Graham's jumper at 7:40 reduced the FAU lead to seven, 59-52.
• Ene's layup at 6:55 made the score 59-54 in favor of the Owls.
• Two free throws by Ene again cut the FAU lead to five.
• Jordan Caruso's two free throws then re-trimmed the Owl lead to five, 63-58, with five minutes left.
• Christian Peevy's two free throws once again cut the FAU lead to five.
• Taylor hit the first of a one-and one to cut the lead to four with 2:42 left.
• Ene hit a three-pointer with 2:01 left to trim the deficit to three, 69-66.
• Ene's layup at 1:15 made the score FAU 69, UIW 68, before FAU hit two free throws to secure the win. 

COACH CUNNINGHAM SAID
"The fellas battled. I was impressed by their moxie. We have a lot to tighten up, but there's strong effort and some pretty nifty execution. Florida Atlantic deserves credit. They hit their free throws and played hard. We need to keep grappling each day to get better."
 
WHAT'S NEXT: The Cardinals return to the McDermott Center on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. (CT) tipoff against the University of Northern Colorado.
 
STAY TUNED
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