FAU’s 57-56 loss to Louisiana Tech in the first round of the Conference USA tournament could only be described as heartbreaking.

Down two with a second remaining, FAU center Karlis Silins went to the line for what would have been the game-tying free throws. He drained the first and the Owls had their grasps on overtime. But the second went awry, forward Xavian Stapleton flying in for the tip-in attempt which missed as well.

The loss came in a game FAU dominated on both ends early. But the Owls failed to bring that consistency and urgency into the second half, letting their double-digit lead evaporate as quickly as they gained it.

Turnovers was a big reason why FAU lost its footing in the second period. FAU committed 13 turnovers, allowing the Bulldogs to run in transition and score easy baskets.

Stapleton was a bright spot for the Owls in their disappointing loss, contributing 17 points and five rebounds. Guard Anthony Adger wasn’t quite as effective, shooting 2-9 from the field, but he added six assists and five rebounds.

While this loss was a heartbreaker, the season itself was one of the best in program history. First-year coach Dusty May led FAU (17-5, 8-11) to its first winning season since 2010-11, despite many key players going down with injuries throughout the year.

Zachary Weinberger is a staff writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @ZachWeinberger