BOCA RATON, Fla. — Memphis basketball lost a pivotal game to FAU Saturday, 92-84, at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.

The Tigers (22-9, 11-7 AAC), who came into the game on the wrong side of most bracketologists' NCAA tournament bubble projections, will likely need to win four games in four days at next week's AAC tournament in Fort Worth to advance to March Madness for a third straight time. The Owls (24-7, 14-4) avenged a 78-74 loss at Memphis on Feb. 25.

Penny Hardaway's team was fighting for a double bye in the conference tournament, but came up short. A packed gymnasium, which included plenty of star power (including Super Bowl champion Antonio Brown, Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie), mostly donning red witnessed four Owls finish in double figures, led by Vladislav Goldin's 22 points.

That raucous crowd was a difference-maker for FAU, according to the Tigers. Jayden Hardaway said the players had trouble getting organized because they could not hear their coaches during the game. He added the Owls were feeding off the fans' energy.

Penny Hardaway said there was a stretch in the first half where he was attempting to direct Jaykwon Walton, Joe Cooper and Jayhlon Young. But, since they couldn't hear him, they improvised, which led to turnovers.

“It took the offense out of my hands,” said Penny Hardaway. “That’s what home court does for you.”

Memphis trailed 36-35 with under a minute to go before halftime. Then, Bryan Greenlee hit back-to-back shots to push FAU's advantage to 41-35 going into the break.

“That’s a huge problem,” said Penny Hardaway. “Then, come out right after halftime and give up a 3 on the first possession. C’mon, man. Not good.”

The Tigers trailed by as many as 14 points with 6:01 left in the game, but fought back to make it a six-point game with 38 seconds to play. But FAU held Memphis off to score the win. The Tigers' signature "Whoop That Trick" blared as Johnell Davis stepped to the free-throw line with 15.5 seconds left in the game.

Here are five observations from Saturday's game.

No answer for Vladislav Goldin − again

Two weeks ago, in FAU's 78-74 loss at Memphis, Vladislav Goldin had a superb game, dropping 22 points (on 9-of-9 from the floor) and grabbing eight rebounds.

Goldin was even better Saturday. The 7-foot-1 big man gave the Tigers fits inside, collecting 21 points. He also hauled in 12 boards, while blocking a pair of shots.

The pesky 3-point line

Part of what made Memphis successful against FAU at FedExForum in February was the Owls' struggles at the 3-point line. FAU made just 7-of-28.

But, on Saturday, the Owls were a different team from deep. They made 11 3-pointers, a number significantly boosted by the performances of Bryan Greenlee and Alijah Martin, who combined for eight.

Jahvon Quinerly: Bad time for a bad half

It's been said many times: when Jahvon Quinerly plays well, Memphis plays well.

The senior point guard had a very forgettable outing for most of the game against FAU. Quinerly did not score (0 for 2 from the field) and had only one assist, while also committing four turnovers in just 14 minutes in the first half.

Quinerly got hot late, drilling four 3-pointers in the second half to finish with 16 points. He also did not turn the ball over after halftime.

The first-half turning point

Memphis was controlling the flow and dictating the pace. Every punch the Owls threw, the Tigers had an answer.

Then, the tide turned. Trailing 22-17 with 10:23 left in the first half, FAU went on a 17-7 run over a 7:04 span to take a 34-29 lead.

The run began with the majority of Memphis' starters in the game. But with 9:12 to go until halftime, Hardaway substituted reserve center Jordan Brown in for Nicholas Jourdain. Brown stayed in the game until the 3:15 mark, which is when the Owls' 17-7 run ended. He did not score (0 for 3 from the field), had one rebound and one turnover.

Nae'Qwan Tomlin and David Jones do their part

Nae'Qwan Tomlin had an outstanding performance for the Tigers. The midseason Kansas State transfer followed up his career-high 28-point game against UAB with 27.

David Jones came through nicely in a supporting role, putting up 16 points. He also contributed eight rebounds.

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Jaykwon Walton also had his best offensive showing since the last meeting with FAU. He had 10 points and six assists.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball takes critical loss at FAU. Here are 5 observations