BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Nov. 18, 2019) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (1-2) will hold its home opener on Tuesday night after playing their first three games on the road. The Owls will host Siena (1-3) with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
About the Owls:
Tuesday’s game represents the Owls’ home opener. The Owls are 8-2 in their last 10 home openers. FAU looks to bounce back after a tough loss at Richmond, which closed out the Owls’ three-game roadstand to open up the season. Jim Jabir is in his third season as the Owls’ head coach and will receive a visit from Siena, where he held his second head coaching gig from 1987 to 1990. Jabir led the Saints to the MAAC Semifinals in 1990.
Through the first three games, Crystal Primm is the leading scorer with 15.7 points per game, which is ranked ninth in Conference USA. Her 8.7 rebounds per game also leads the team and is the 10th most in the league. Lotta Vehka-Aho is the team’s leader in assists (15) and steals (2.3), which puts her at second and ninth, respectively in C-USA. Amber Gaston has totaled a 3+ block game this season and ranks eighth in the conference with 1.3 blocks per game.
Last Time Out:
FAU fell just short of potentially pulling off their second consecutive buzzer-beater victory, as they were defeated by Richmond, 57-55 on Saturday night. The Owls got off to a slow start in the game, trailing by as many as 20 points. FAU would find their way back into the game after a strong second half, where they outscored Richmond 36-21. With 10 seconds left on the clock and the Owls down by three points, Abby Voss hit a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game. Richmond was able to pull ahead for good after a layup and the Owls were unable to find an answer in six seconds.
Primm delivered game highs in points (19) and rebounds (10), while also capturing her second double-double in just three games. Her 19 points set a new career high and 10 rebounds matched a career-high she reached at Iowa. Tanyia Gordon also tallied a great stat line, reaching double digits for the first time in her young career with 11 points and six rebounds, while Juliette Gauthier followed with 10 points and six boards. Lotta Vehka-Aho continued to be a huge contributor on the court, racking up a career-high seven points and three steals.
Scouting Siena:
Siena captured its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon against Sacred Heart in a 68-57 home victory. In the game, Sabrina Piper led both sides with 24 points, as well as totaled six assists and three steals. Ashley Williams followed with 11 points and Marliena Gerostergiou led both sides with nine boards. After four games, Piper is the Saints’ leading scorer with 19 per game and also leads in assists with 15. Siena’s top rebounder is Julia Hauer, who averages 7.3 per game, while Gerostergiou leads in steals with seven.
History Against the Saints:
FAU and Siena squared off for the first time ever last season on the Saints’ home court, as the Owls left Albany, New York with a 70-66 road win. Juliette Gauthier was the game’s leading scorer in the contest, racking up 18 points, four boards and two steals. Abby Voss crashed the boards to lead both sides with 11 rebounds. The Owls would go on to shoot 47.6 percent from beyond the arc, as four of FAU’s 10 3-pointers were made by Gauthier.
Upcoming:
FAU will finish out its homestand on Thursday, as the Owls receive a visit from Little Rock with tipoff set for 7 p.m. For tickets, call 1-800-FAU-OWLS or visit FAUSports.com.
Owls on Social Media:
For complete coverage of FAU women’s basketball, follow us on Twitter (@FAU_WBB), Instagram (@FAU_WBB) and Facebook (Florida Atlantic Women’s Basketball).
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Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
