The pink and blue glow of Vice Night washed over Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on Thursday evening as the Florida Atlantic Owls men’s basketball took the floor delivering a performance worthy of the aesthetic, defeating the Temple Owls men’s basketball 77-73 in a gritty conference battle.

Temple entered with early momentum, knocking down perimeter shots and briefly silencing the Blacked Out crowd. The first half belonged largely to the visitors, as they controlled pace and forced FAU into uncomfortable offensive possessions. But under the glow and in the darkness of the Elly, the Owls responded.

Guard Kanaan Carlyle ignited the turnaround, finishing with 22 points in a performance that felt made for the spotlight. Carlyle attacked the rim fearlessly and connected on timely jumpers, injecting life into both the bench and the crowd. Each bucket seemed to turn up the arena’s atmosphere, turning Vice Night into a true home-court advantage.

Forward Josiah Parker handled the physical work inside, grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with 9 points. Parker’s control of the glass limited Temple’s second chances and allowed FAU to dictate tempo as the game tightened in the second half.

The difference ultimately came on the defensive end. After surrendering multiple threes in the first half, Florida Atlantic locked down from beyond the arc after halftime, holding Temple scoreless from deep in the final 20 minutes. Defensive communication sharpened, rotations became crisp, and the Vice Night crowd grew louder with each stop.

With under two minutes remaining, the contest evolved into a free-throw chess match. A critical and-one finish from Guard Amar Amkou late in regulation swung momentum permanently in FAU’s favor, and composed foul shooting iced the 77-73 win.

The victory completes a season sweep of Temple and keeps FAU building momentum as conference play enters its most critical stretch putting them at 8-8 in the conference and 16-13 overall.