Good morning.  The No. 22 Florida Atlantic men's basketball team (16-4, 6-1 AAC) wrapped up their road trip with a win over Rice (7-12, 1-5 AAC), 69-56, on Wednesday night.
 
Unlike FAU's previous four victories in which they averaged 92.5 points per game, the battle between the Owls came down to defense, with Rice being held to just 35% shooting from the field, tied for Florida Atlantic's best defensive outing of the season.
 
“We are getting back to our defensive identity,” Coach Dusty May said. “We are continuing to evolve and figure out the best way for us to play every week.”

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🥎 Gabby Sacco was named as one of the top pitchers in D1 Softball
🎤 FAU baseball and softball teams answered questions for 2024 Media Day
🦉 And much, much more

📈 STOCK UP

Save Big with Go Solar Power! Attention FAU Owl fans: Grab your FREE Solar and Tesla Powerwall Savings Plan today and get a $2,000 rebate at installation. Join the sustainable energy movement now and enjoy the rewards!

🔼 It’s a Dub For Men’s Tennis. On the road for the first time in 2024, the Florida Atlantic's men's tennis team (4-0) built on strong doubles play with competitive singles play to down host William & Mary (0-1) by a 5-2 score.

Read the article for the full lowdown on the singles and doubles results.
 
The Owls move to 4-0 on the year and will travel to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they will first play Pennsylvania on January 27 and will then play either Virginia or Northern Arizona.

🔼 Shockers Incoming. The Florida Atlantic Owls (5-13, 0-7 AAC) fourth-quarter rally fell just short after a 40-minute battle against the reigning AAC champion ECU Pirates (11-7, 4-3 AAC) on Thursday at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.

In an epic back-and-forth battle, ECU ultimately extended its lead to 15 as the Owls stared down a 66-51 deficit with five minutes to go. The Owls then locked in, mounting a 19-4 run over a four-minute period to tie up the match at 70 following Perry's fourth triple of the day. However, the Pirates scored eight over the final minute of play as the Owls' fourth-quarter rally fell just short, 78-74.

"I really thought we were going to be able to pull that out,” head coach Jennifer Sullivan said. “I think that moves us closer to getting in the column of getting that first win in the American. So lots of good individual performances and things we can build on for a quick turnaround going to Wichita."

The Owls have a short turnaround as they prepare for a road clash against the Wichita State Shockers on Saturday, Jan. 27. Tipoff is set for 6pm ET at Charles Koch Arena.

🔼 Maybe the Lone Star is a Rating. “We are starting to find our groove a little bit, said redshirt sophomore guard Nick Boyd after the win over Rice on Wednesday. “But I think we are lightyears away from where we are going to be really soon."

Some Noteworthy Stats From the Game:

• Five straight victories ties the team's longest win streak of the season

• Boyd was the most efficient player on the floor between both teams, scoring a game-high 18 points on five-for-six shooting.

• Junior guard Johnell Davis recorded his 13th consecutive game in double figures, scoring 14 points. He also added nine rebounds

• Florida Atlantic took full advantage of the charity stripe, going 15-for-17 for a season-best 88% from the line

Florida Atlantic returns to the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on Sunday, Jan. 28, to take on North Texas (11-6, 4-1 AAC). The game will tip off at 1pm ET and will air on ESPN2.

🔼 Circle Up. Junior pitcher Gabby Sacco was named as one of the top pitchers in D1 Softball, snagging #36 in the nation’s preseason rankings.

Last season, she led the Owls in multiple categories: innings pitched, wins, era, strikeouts, complete games (16), and shutouts (6). To conclude the season, she was named C-USA Pitcher of the Year, All C-USA First Team, and Third Team All-South Region.

Against Illinois State, Sacco threw her first no-hitter of her collegiate career and the Owls' first since 2016.

Sacco's 19 victories and elite performances on the mound helped lead the Owls to 35 wins—the most since 2017. 

Sacco and the Owls will look to build on their successful 2023 with an even stronger 2024, their first season in the American Athletic Conference. To purchase tickets, go HERE.

🔼 One Singular Sensation. The 2023 Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs has concluded. Three players were on a participating team, with one, Devin Singletary, seeing action:
 
OWL IN THE DIVISIONAL (1)
#26 Devin Singletary | RB | Houston Texans
- "Motor" made his 12th straight start and played 34 out of 49 of the team's offensive snaps. He would carry the ball nine times for 22 yards with a long of 16. But his main impact came in the passing game, hauling in five catches for 48 yards. A highlight play came on a third-and-eight, where Singletary caught the ball on a wheel route and turned it into a 26-yard first down. Singletary and Houston's season would ultimately come to an end with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 34-10.
 
Congrats to Trey Hendrickson, who was named to the 2023 Pro Football Writers Association All-NFL First Team at defensive end. In 2023, Hendrickson tallied a career-high 17.5 sacks, tied for second in the NFL. He will also be heading to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season. 

🔼 Goin’ Deep in the Burrow. Frank Forte, host of Inside The Owls' Burrow, talks to Alicia Mora Herencia and Brandon Shepherd about the new heights they have reached on the diving board, as both the men's & women's diving teams have had tremendous success over the past year.
 
For the women's team, Mora Herencia became the first Owl to win an American Athletic Conference medal, earning the bronze in both the 1-meter and 3-meter in the 2023 AAC Championships. She also qualified for the NCAA Diving Championships, the first Owl to do so since 2017.
 
On the men's side, Shepherd was the conference champion in the 1-meter and 3-meter dive and was named the conference's Diver of the Year.
 
Both have carried their momentum into this season with five weekly conference Diver of the Week awards between the two of them: Mora with three and Shepherd with two. 

🔼 Just a Splash. The Florida Atlantic women's swimming and diving teams will wrap up their regular season with a home meet against FIU tomorrow morning, marking the final meet of the season at the FAU Aquatic Center. 

Following the meet, the Owls will regroup for their respective conference championships, set to begin on Feb. 21.

🔼 Owls on the Run. On the heels of setting several records at the RADD Invitational, the Florida Atlantic women's track & field team will return to Gainesville to take part in the two-day Florida Collegiate Invitational from Friday, Jan. 26 – Saturday, Jan. 27.
 
This will mark the third straight and final Gainesville-based meet of the indoor track season.

The Owls will travel out of state for the first time this season to participate in two Boston-based events: the David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Friday, Feb. 9, and the Eagle Elite Invitational from Feb. 9 – Saturday, Feb. 10.

Read the full article for the scoop on the Owls in the rankings.

🔼 Court is in Session. A weekend of tennis is on tap for Florida Atlantic's women's tennis team (0-1). The Owls will play host to Stetson (1-0) on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 10am ET and to FGCU (0-2) on Sunday, Jan. 28 at noon. Both matches will be played at the Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center.

The all-time series with Stetson stands at 10-7 for the Hatters; however, FAU is on a three-match winning streak versus Stetson, their longest, and earned the last win in 2018 by a 4-3 margin.
 
The Owls will then host Georgia State on Friday, Feb. 3, and DePaul on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 1pm ET. All schedules are subject to change.

Home matches are played at the Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center and are free and open to the public. Seating is available, and cheering is encouraged.

📣 CALL TO ACTION

The PowerOwls Club is an exclusive community dedicated to connecting FAU fans and student-athletes. Stay in the know about all they’re doing here.

We’re encouraging every fan to help the PowerOwls Club reach their 300-card goal by January 31st. Purchase a Collectible Card TODAY to support FAU student-athletes!

🦉 ONE BIG THING

Tap, Tap…Is This Thing On? 🎤 Members of the FAU baseball and softball programs sat down and answered questions about their upcoming, fast-approaching seasons for 2024 Media Day, including baseball’s Coach Mac, who enters his 34th year in Paradise.

😬 TRUST YOUR SMILE

Dental exams on a regular basis are essential to maintaining good oral health. Are you unsure if you should have one? Find out by taking our little quiz. It's an easy method to evaluate your oral health and decide when to schedule your next dental appointment.

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

Did someone send you the Paradise Brew? Well, the first thing you should do is thank them. The next thing you should do is subscribe here and get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning just in time for your first cup of coffee!

The Week Ahead is brought to you by our friends at Sage Dental, who are creating a modern, family-friendly approach to dentistry with one thing in mind—you. From pediatric dentistry and orthodontics to teeth cleanings and oral surgery, they work to provide you and your family the best dental care all in one place.

📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 1/26

👟 Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field vs. Alachua County - Indoor Season

Saturday 1/27

👟 Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field vs. Alachua County - Indoor Season

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Pennsylvania @ Charlottesville, VA @ 9am ET

Sunday 1/28

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Virginia or Northern Arizona @ Charlottesville, VA @ Time TBA

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. FGCU @ 12pm ET

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. UNT @ 1pm ET on ESPN2 Fox Sports South Florida | Live Audio | Live Stats 

🦉 Click here to view the entire FAU Athletics Calendar

🦉 Have a great Friday, y’all