MOBILE, Ala. – Senior Jailyn Ingram scored 22 points and freshman Nicholas Boyd came off the bench to tally 17, leading the Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball program to its first victory of the season Saturday afternoon. The Owls defeated the University of Mobile 83-41 at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center to wrap up play at the Goldie and Herman Unger Memorial Tournament.
Both teams were ice cold to start the contest, with FAU holding a slim, 6-5 lead seven minutes into the contest. A pair of free throws and a dunk from Ingram sparked a 16-0 run that put the Owls firmly in control. During that outburst, Ingram scored nine of his game-high 22 points.
A B.J. Greenlee 3-pointer with 4:35 left in the first half put FAU on top by 21 points, 31-10. Mobile never got closer than 20 for the remainder of the contest. Boyd scored the final seven points of the first half and gave the Owls a 27-point halftime edge, 44-17.
A pair of Alijah Martin free throws early in the second half were part of a 9-0 spurt that was capped by a Boyd 3-pointer. The Martin free throws pushed FAU’s lead to over 30 points. The lead ballooned to as many as 43 points late in the second half.
The Owls dominated the glass, out-rebounding Mobile 51-31. FAU enjoyed a 20-point advantage off points in the paint, 36-16. The Owls’ bench scored 48 of FAU’s 83 points to account for 58 percent of the team’s scoring.
Quoting Coach May
“They (FAU) competed. They battled. They played with great energy almost every possession and they played very unselfish basketball. When you get a lead … some guys have a tendency to try to chase some numbers and stats. That’s what was most pleasing was the unselfish play. We got back to our identity, which is playing hard defensively and not over-complicating it offensively. So, it’s a good starting point for us.”
On Tap
FAU opens its home schedule Thursday, hosting Florida National at The Burrow. Tipoff vs. the Conquistadors is set for 7 p.m. For tickets, visit FAUTickets.com or call 866.FAU.OWLS.
