DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wali Parks … go to guy in the clutch?

Why not?

The junior sank the go-ahead three-pointer with 33.4 seconds remaining, than added a free throw after making a defensive steal as Bethune-Cookman pulled off a quality December win Saturday in downing Florida Atlantic 72-70 in Historic Moore Gym. It marked BCU's first win against a Conference USA opponent.

Soufiyane Diakite (15 first half points) was the early hero, then Malik Maitland (11 points, six assists, five rebounds) was the second hero by single-handedly turning a five-point deficit into a two-point Wildcat lead.

Then it was Parks' turn.

Florida Atlantic (6-2) took a 68-67 lead on Anthony Adger's three-pointer with 1:01 left, but Parks answered by draining that wide-open three on the next possession.

Not bad for a role player who scored a grand total of 11 points in the Wildcats' first seven games.

Welcome to Wali world.

That made BCU Head Coach Ryan Ridder smile in his post-game media availability.

"Go to guy," Ridder echoed. "But Wali is a player who has 100 percent trust from coaches and teammates. He has a  great basketball IQ, he covers guys by doing thing the things that won't reflect on the stat sheet, but helps us win."

Parks admitted that he thinks he's the last guy in the gym to have the ball in that kind of situation, but appreciated the trust the coaches have him. And when you deliver … you can be the go to guy.

"I guess you can say that," Parks said. "My first reaction was to shoot and I don't think that's a bad reaction. I had a good look and an opportunity to knock it down." 

A Michael Forest jumper brought the Owls within one with 11 seconds left, but Maitland, who  turned a 63-58 advantage into a 65-63 BCU lead, sank a free throw with nine seconds left to put BCU (4-4) up two.

Florida Atlantic couldn't get off a shot before time expired.    

"Malik had a slow start, but has earned the opportunity to be out there in the final minutes," Ridder said.

Diakite, 0-5 from 3-point range this season and maker of only eight from behind the arc last year, hit his first three-pointers in a start that saw B-CU go 5-7 from three-point range in the first ten minutes.

The Wildcats stormed out to a 27-12 lead on Cletrell Pope's dunk with 9:47 remaining. The Owls closed to 33-31 on two Anthony Adger free throws with 1:29 remaining, but Leon Redd scored the final five points of the half to push BCU's lead back to seven.

Jailyn Ingram had a game-high 28 for Florida Atlantic, who had four five-point leads in a well-played second half.

Redd had 12 points and 9 rebounds for BCU and Pope a 10-point, 11 rebound double-double.

BCU heads west for a three-game road trip beginning Tuesday at St. Mary's.