Good morning. Florida Atlantic University football added nearly 20 freshmen to the squad as part of the early National Signing Day.

Some Quick Hits on NSD24:

• Two are international:  Mauricio Hinds (Canada) and Keon Rohe (Germany), becoming the seventh and eighth international to play at FAU and the third and fourth to play offensive line

• Nearly half of the class hails from the tri-county area

• Ten are from the defensive side of the ball, and seven are projected to play on the offensive side

• One will come from Arkansas and another from Georgia

• Mike Wright III signed out of Palm Beach Gardens High School, which is under the direction of Tyrone Higgins, an FAU alum and a member of the program's inaugural class 

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

🌊 The Owls took first place in 13 events in their final meet of 2023
⚾️ Tickets for the 2024 baseball season are officially on sale
🦉 And much, much more

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🔼 Needed One Moore. Florida Atlantic women's basketball (5-6) closed out non-conference play on Thursday, falling in a 75-48 battle against the San Diego State Aztecs (9-4) in the West Palm Beach Classic at Rubin Arena.

“All of our pieces make a big difference for what we're trying to do. Finding out a few minutes before game time that Jada [Moore] wouldn't be able to play, I think made a big difference,” head coach Jennifer Sullivan said after the game. “I was proud of our team's fight, getting that news, and trying to execute.”

Some Positive Stats Despite the Loss:

• Janeta Rozentale turned in her third double-double of the season, scoring a team-leading 12 points, shooting 38 percent (5-of-13) from the field, while also leading the Owls on the glass with 11 boards. She also added an assist and a steal.

• Mya Perry scored a team second-best 11 points, shooting 40 percent (2-of-5) from 3-point range and 30 percent (3-of-10) from the field.

• Dyllan Hanna rounded out the Owls’ double-digit scorers with a season-high 10 points.

The Owls will open up their inaugural American Athletic Conference campaign following the holiday break, hosting the UAB Blazers on Saturday, Dec. 30, for a 1pm ET tip.

🔼 All in Fun. In their final meet of 2023—the 2023 FAU Fun Invite—the Owls took first place in 13 events out of 32, the most out of four teams, including Old Dominion, UIC, and Rice.

Men 

• Peyton Ming, Dalton Lillibridge, Jackson Kirk, and Logan Thornsberry combined for a winning time of 41.93 in the 100-medley relay

• Ming captured the victory in the 50 back (23.64)

• Lillibridge won the 50 breast (25.67) and 100 breast (56.86)

• Jacob Rubin (21.39) and Thornsberry (21.63) placed first and second, respectively, in the 50 free

• Rubin, Kirk, Jake Bair, and Brett Reason combined for the win in the 300 free relay (2:16.29)

• Kirk (46.13) and Timo Paisley (47.56) were the top finishers in the 100 free 

Women

• The 100 medley relay team of Riley Trout, Ella Freeman, Lauren Wright, and Bry Bellile took first place (49.34)

• Alicia Mora won the 1-meter dive (280.43) and 3-meter dive (293.35)

• Yasemine Safargar placed second in the 100 fly (58.79) and the 100 reverse IM (1:00.38)

• Dolores Margni, Trout, Presley Staretz, and Safargar took the 400 medley relay (4:04.58)

The Owls will host Senior Day on Saturday, Jan. 20, against St. Thomas (Swimming) and Indian River (Diving).

🔼 Thinking Outside the Batter’s Box. FAU Baseball has had at least one player selected in 17 of the past 18 MLB drafts, including Nolan Schanuel – the 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Schanuel made his major league debut just 40 days after the Angels made him the highest-drafted FAU student-athlete in school history. This makes Boca Raton an ideal place to watch future stars, so you’ll want your place today to see one of the top baseball programs in Florida, as the ‘24 season is officially on sale.
 
The 2024 season will also mark the Owls' first as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Charlotte will visit the FAU Baseball Stadium in late March to kick off the AAC slate. Reigning AAC champions ECU, Tulane, UAB, and UTSA will also make trips to South Florida as part of the conference lineup.
 
The FAU Baseball Stadium will have a slightly different look in 2024. This includes the "Berman Zone" addition down the third base line with cabana-style seating – similar to that at field level for football at FAU Stadium – along with a number of other fan and family-friendly enhancements to the left-field seating area.

Read the full article for more on ticket packages.

🔼 The Owls You Know. Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season is in the books, with six former Florida Atlantic Owls seeing action. Here's a rundown of how each performed during the 15th week:
 
Active Owls (6)
#2 Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | Tennessee Titans
-  Playing a season-high 75 snaps, Al-Shaair made plays all over the field. He logged 13 tackles, his most since Week 6, and tied his season high with two tackles for loss. Al-Shaair is now tied for sixth place on the season with 137 tackles as the Titans fell to the divisional rival Houston Texans, where former Owl teammate Devin Singletary resides, in overtime by a score of 19-16.
Titans' Record: 5-9
Next Game: vs. Seattle – Sunday, 1pm ET (CBS)
 
#88 Harrison Bryant | TE | Cleveland Browns
- Bryant recorded his third straight start and played a total of 36 snaps: 19 on offense and 17 on special teams. Cleveland won a thriller against the Chicago Bears, 20-17, to keep Cleveland on top in the AFC Wild Card race.
Browns' Record: 9-5
Next Game: at Houston (and Singletary) – Sunday, 1pm ET (CBS)

Read the full NFL Week 15 rundown to learn how other former Owls did for their respective teams.

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🤔 PARADISE TRIVIA

Paradise Trivia is brought to you by the PowerOwls Club—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 Power Owls Club reach their 1,000-card goal by December 31st. Purchase a Collectable Card TODAY to support FAU student-athletes!

Worth the Hoopla. How many total points did Alijah Martin score during the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational?

🦉 ONE BIG THING

A Great Day to Become an Owl. A whole lot of talent is coming to Paradise; let’s get to work!

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 12/22

(No Activities Scheduled)

Saturday 12/23

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Arizona - Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada @ 3pm ET Fox + Fox Sports South Florida| Live Audio

Sunday 12/24

(No Activities Scheduled) 

Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate! 🎄

Some Additional Games Next Week:

Saturday 12/30

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. UAB @ 1pm ET ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets

🏀 Men’s Basketball @ FGCU @ 7pm ET Fox Sports South Florida| Live Audio | Live Stats

🦉 Click here to view the entire FAU Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: 55 points!

In a field of eight teams, six who had made the previous NCAA Tournament, the Owls were the last team standing, ultimately winning in dominant fashion after an eight-point halftime lead turned into a 34-point blowout in which FAU never trailed.
 
Martin was named the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational MVP.

🦉 Have a great Friday, y’all