| BOCA RATON — After a quick break for the holidays, the FAU men’s basketball team is back in action Friday and Saturday. The Owls open Conference USA action this weekend at The Burrow, hosting Middle Tennessee State University in a two-game weekend series. All Conference USA matchups are scheduled for two-game series this season, limiting travel amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. FAU comes into the contest with an overall record of 5-3, while the Blue Raiders are 2-4 overall. Middle Tennessee has had the best of the overall series with the Owls, holding a 19-6 overall advantage. However, FAU has won the last two meetings. Included in those two victories, was a thrilling, 97-94 victory at FAU Arena in the last meeting between the two teams. Jailyn Ingram hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and the Owls outscored the Blue Raiders by three in the extra period. FAU head coach Dusty May is 2-0 against MTSU head coach Nick McDevitt in their respective careers. Buying Stock in Windex? Offensive rebounding has been a point of emphasis for the Owls throughout the 2020-21 season. The message has apparently been received. The Owls rank No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 13 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 14.6 per contest. Those offensive rebounds have led to the Owls to an edge in second-chance points in six of eight games this season. Good Hands People Taking care of the basketball has become a hallmark of the Owls under Dusty May. FAU ranked No. 2 in Conference USA in turnover margin last season at 1.81 fewer per game. They have started 2020-21 in similar fashion. FAU averages just 11.1 turnovers. The Owls’ turnover margin is +7.3 per game this season. Both of the above averages are No. 1 in C-USA, while the turnover margin average is also No. 10 in the nation. Ingram Doubles Down Jailyn Ingram has scored in double digits in five of his last six outings. He added 10 rebounds at North Florida to record his first double-double of the season and the ninth of his career. He is the most prolific current Owl in the category of double-doubles. Ingram has also joined an exclusive FAU club. In the season-opener, he became just the fourth Owl ever to score 1000 points and grab 500 rebounds. See the chart on Page 4 for more details. Greenlee for Three Bryan Greenlee made 7 3-pointers in his Owl debut and has since added 14 more. He is currently the No. 5-ranked 3-point shooter in the nation (No. 1 in C-USA), converting at a .583 clip from behind the arc. Greenlee’s average of 2.62 made 3-pointers per game is No. 5 in C-USA and No. 93 nationally. Last Time Out The Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team wrapped up non-conference action with a 107-72 victory over Florida College Dec. 21 at FAU Arena. Florida College grabbed an early 8-5 lead. But FAU gained control shortly thereafter. A 10-0 run, sparked by a Michael Forrest 3-pointer and a pair of dunks from Dardan Kapiti and Alijah Martin, put the Owls on top 15-8 six minutes into the contest. FAU continued to extend its advantage. A Karlis Silins 3-pointer gave the Owls their first double-digit lead at 26-14 with nine minutes left before halftime. A Johnell Davis bucket late in the half pushed the FAU edge over 20 points at 43-22. The Owls maintained that 21-point advantage at the break when Madiaw Niang converted a dunk just before the buzzer. It was the fifth slam of the first half for the Owls. FAU opened the second half with a barrage of 3-pointers. The Owls converted six triples in just more than 5 minutes to start the half. Three of the long-range jumpers came from Jailyn Ingram, with two from Bryan Greenlee and one from Forrest. The Owls cruised from there, hitting the 100-point mark for the third time this season. |
