| BOCA RATON — The Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team hopes to remain hot inside the friendly confines of FAU Arena this weekend. Coming off a historic beating of rival FIU, Charlotte visits for a Conference USA weekend series Friday and Saturday. The Owls are 7-6 overall and 2-2 in C-USA action, while Charlotte enters at 6-6 overall with an identical 2-2 mark in league play. The 49ers lead the all-time series between the two squads by a 5-3 tally. But FAU holds a 2-1 edge in games played at The Burrow. The Owls haven’t hosted Charlotte since January of 2019, the only home loss for FAU in the series. Both Charlotte head coach and FAU head coach Dusty May are in their third seasons with their respective clubs. Sanchez’s squad has had the upper hand in the two meetings so far, but only by an average of 3.5 points per game. A limited number of tickets for this weekend’s contests are available. Click here to purchase tickets. While student admission is free, the student section is also limited and students are encouraged to arrive early. Gates will open one hour prior to tipoff. Hitting the Glass Offensive rebounding has been a point of emphasis for the Owls. The message has been received. FAU averages 13.77 offensive boards per game, which ranks No. 1 in Conference USA and No. 15 in the nation. The Owls hold an edge in second-chance points in 10 of 13 games this season. They outscored FIU 17-2 in second-chance points in Saturday’s huge victory. From Downtown FAU is one of the more prolific 3-point shooting teams in the nation, in terms of shots hoisted from behind the arc, shots made from distance and long-range efficiency. The Owls are No. 2 in C-USA and No. 26 in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage, converting at a .389 clip. In 3-pointers made per game, FAU is No. 3 in C-USA and No. 20 in the nation, averaging 10.1. They have launched from long range 337 total times, which is No. 4 in the league and No. 45 in NCAA Division I. Forrest For The 3’s Michael Forrest was on fire Saturday vs. FIU. The junior guard hit 7-of-11 from 3-point range vs. the Panthers en route to a season-best 27-point effort in the rivalry victory. Forrest was 10-of-15 from the field overall, added 5 rebounds and an assist. That 27-point outburst is tied for the seventh-best single-game output in C-USA this season. W For Win-chester Everett Winchester had back-to-back career nights vs. FIU last week. Thursday, he matched his career-best with 10 points and snagged a career-high 9 rebounds in FAU’s 81-79 victory. He followed that up with an even better performance in Saturday’s historic beatdown of the Panthers. Winchester scored a career-high 12 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds for his first career double-double. His 14 boards were the most in a single game for FAU since 2018. |
