BOCA RATON, Fla. (Interstat) — David Green scored 27 points, including the go-ahead free throws with 43 seconds remaining, and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane survived a 40-point performance from Florida Atlantic’s Niccolo Moretti to edge the Owls 78-76 in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball thriller Wednesday night at FAU Gymnasium.

In a game defined by razor-thin margins and a frantic final minute, Tulsa improved to 20-3 overall and remained near the top of the conference standings. Florida Atlantic fell to 14-10 despite a heroic effort from its star guard.

The contest was a tale of two halves. Florida Atlantic controlled the opening period, using a 13-2 run midway through to build a lead that stretched to 12 points. The Owls took a 32-25 advantage into halftime, fueled by interior dominance that resulted in a 13-5 edge in offensive rebounds and a 44-32 points-in-the-paint advantage for the game.

Tulsa, however, emerged from the break transformed. The Golden Hurricane opened the second half on a 19-7 surge, sparked by the backcourt duo of Green and Miles Barnstable, to reclaim a lead they would not relinquish, though the Owls never relented. Tulsa’s offensive efficiency soared after halftime, scoring 53 points on the strength of 50% shooting from the field, a stark contrast to their 32% first-half showing.

Moretti, the dynamic guard from Bologna, Italy, was virtually unstoppable, pouring in 25 of his game-high 40 points in the second half to keep the Owls within striking distance. His driving layup with 34 seconds left pulled Florida Atlantic to within 73-71, setting the stage for the decisive sequence.

On the ensuing possession, Green was fouled by Josiah Parker and calmly sank both free throws to push the lead back to four. Moretti answered immediately with another layup, making it 75-73 with just six seconds on the clock.

Tulsa’s Tylen Riley was then fouled and sent to the line for a one-and-one opportunity with 3.6 seconds left. He missed the first attempt, but a lengthy review for a potential lane violation resulted in a reset and a second chance. Riley missed again, but the rebound was tapped out of bounds by Florida Atlantic, giving Tulsa possession under its own basket with 2.8 seconds remaining.

The inbounds pass found Barnstable, who was immediately fouled by Parker. Barnstable made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, but Isaiah Elohim secured the rebound for Florida Atlantic and called timeout with 1.1 seconds left.

The Owls’ final attempt, a long inbound pass and a desperation heave by Elohim from near half-court, was off target, sealing the narrow victory for the visitors.

Beyond Green’s scoring, Barnstable provided crucial support with 15 points, including three second-half three-pointers that fueled the comeback. Tyler Behrend added 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds for Tulsa, which won despite being out-rebounded 45-33 and tallying only six assists.

For Florida Atlantic, Elohim finished with 15 points and Parker added 12, but the Owls were ultimately undone by poor three-point shooting (7 of 30) and an inability to capitalize on Tulsa’s mistakes, scoring only six points off 10 Golden Hurricane turnovers. Tulsa, conversely, generated 18 points off Florida Atlantic’s 10 giveaways.

The game drew an announced crowd of 3,161 and featured 10 lead changes and five ties, living up to its pregame billing as a closely contested conference matchup. Tulsa now travels to face South Florida on Sunday, while Florida Atlantic prepares for a road game at Rice next Wednesday.