BOCA RATON — After picking up its first victory of the season Saturday in an 83-41 victory over Mobile, the Owls play their first contest at the friendly confines of The Burrow Thursday evening.
FAU will be looking to even its record at 2-2 when the Florida National University Conquistadors visit Abessinio Court at FAU Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The contest will be an exhibition for FNU, which is a member of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The Conquistadors are averaging nearly 90 points per game. They have already faced one other NCAA Division I program, falling to Georgia Southern 97-65 back on Nov. 25.
FAU saw Jailyn Ingram and Nicholas Boyd lead the way in Saturday’s victory over Mobile. Ingram recorded a game-high 22 points and tied for the team-lead in rebounds with eight. Boyd came off the bench to score 17 points for the Owls.
Thursday’s game is one of just two non-conference home games for FAU this season. The Owls will also host Florida College on Dec. 21.
Taking Care of It
FAU ranked No. 2 in Conference USA in turnover margin last season. The Owls averaged 1.81 fewer turnovers than their opponents in 2019-20. They have started off 2020-21 in similar fashion. FAU averages just 12.0 turnovers, while forcing an average of 16.0. TTAKING he Owls’ turnover margin is +4.0 per game this season, which ranks No. 5 in C-USA.
Welcome To The Club, JI
Jailyn Ingram finished with six rebounds in the season-opener vs. South Alabama. His second made him the fourth Owl ever to score 1,000 points and also grab 500 rebounds. Ingram currently ranks No. 9 on the all-time FAU scoring chart with 1,095 points scored. He is 68 points shy of moving up to No. 8. Ingram is also No. 8 on the all-time rebounding chart with 517 boards. He is just 54 rebounds away from moving up to No. 7.
Dangerous Defense
The Owls are allowing an average of just 56.3 points per game through their first 3 contests. That’s the second-best mark in Conference USA and ranks No. 24 in the nation through the early going this season.
On Tap
The Owls head back out on the road Monday, rolling up I-95 to Duval County/Jacksonville for a matchup with the UNF Ospreys. UNF is currently 0-3 and has two contests on the docket before FAU comes to visit. The Ospreys face Florida State Wednesday in Tallahassee and travel to High Point, N.C. to face High Point University Saturday.
A win over UNF would give FAU a basketball sweep over the Ospreys, as the Owl women’s basketball team defeated UNF Monday in their season-opener.
