BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic’s men’s basketball team started the 2025-26 season on the right foot, stunning the Boston College Eagles 83-78 in a thrilling overtime victory.
After going 18-16 last season, the Owls toppled an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference to open the second season of John Jakus’ tenure as head coach.
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The Owls were propelled to the win on the performances of freshman guard Yohann Sissoko and junior forward Xander Pintelon. Sissoko scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds and nailed all three of his three-pointers, the last tying the game at 66 with under 30 seconds left. Pintelon added 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Both scored five points in overtime to seal the victory.
Additionally, Kanaan Carlyle scored a team-high 19 points, including a team-high four three-pointers.
“I don’t know that this was pretty,” Jakus said. “But, the first game of the year, maybe that’s just part of it. But what our guys did show is fight and resolve.”
FAU’s Devin Vanterpool drives to the basket for a slam dunk during the season-opening win against Boston College.
The Owls are back in action on Nov. 8 at Charleston.
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Here are three takeaways from the back-and-forth victory:
Yohann Sissoko, Xander Pintelon heroics force OT
The Owls trailed for nearly the last 10 minutes of regulation, and went down by as much as nine with under five minutes remaining. After a strong first half that saw FAU lead by four at halftime, it appeared the momentum had completely shifted in Boston College’s favor.
That didn’t matter for the Owls, who responded with a quick 6-0 run to pull the score back within three with under four minutes remaining. FAU was still down 66-63 with 46 seconds remaining.
Then, the Owls forced a BC turnover that was picked up by Sissoko, who hails from Paris and made a wide-open three-pointer to tie the score at 66. Pintelon then responded with a block on the other end to force overtime.
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“We’re really thankful for him,” Jakus said of Sissoko. “I think [he’s] as good a freshman point guard you’re going to find in our conference.
“I don’t know that anyone could’ve predicted that, but I’m thankful for it, and hopefully there’s more of that in there.”
In overtime, both Sissoko and Pintelon each scored five points, with the latter also picking up two of his four blocks in the extra period.
“This was not only me,” Pintelon said of his timely blocks. “It’s the whole team who plays defense. We still got the win, so it’s a team effort, it’s not only me.”
FAU’s three-pointers play huge role in win
FAU’s marksmanship from three-point territory played a huge role in the victory.
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The Owls hit 12 of their 24 three-point field goals led by Carlyle’s four. Sissoko and Pintelon each added three triples.
“We all played a part in the scoring today,” Carlyle said. “That made it way easier for me to score when you’ve got four — or five — other players in double digits.”
The Owls’ efficiency from beyond the arc likely saved them against the Eagles, as they shot 17 for 43 from inside the arc and 13 for 25 from the free-throw line.
“I was shocked by it,” Jakus said. “I’m proud that it didn’t emotionally drain us to the point where we stopped playing hard, but certainly, they’re going to be in here tonight – not just tomorrow, but tonight -and they’re going to be at the free-throw line … they’ll be getting better.”
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Owls defense – 14 turnovers, 8 blocks, 9 steals – helps beat Eagles
It wasn’t the prettiest game for the Owls, but they played well enough to keep the Eagles at bay. FAU forced 14 Boston College turnovers, adding eight blocks and nine steals.
The Owls held Boston College to 41 percent shooting the floor, and of course, it was a defensive play that helped set up Sissoko’s game-tying three in regulation and helped seal the victory in overtime.
Despite being crushed in the rebound battle 52-38, the Owls did enough to give themselves extra possessions and a chance to snatch a victory against a high-caliber opponent.
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“We actually played defense today enough to keep us in it for a little while,” Jakus said. “The 41 percent field goal percentage on defense was probably the difference, and hopefully our offense will catch up quick.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Freshman from Paris, France helps FAU open basketball season with win
