Owls split basketball doubleheader

Published January 22nd, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

It’s been a trying year for the FAU men’s basketball team, but Coach Rex Walters hopes his team may have found the winning touch after the Owls upset defending Sun Belt champion North Texas 86-81 Saturday night.

Carlos Monroe scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds despite sitting out much of the first half in foul trouble.
But it was Paul Graham who was the difference-maker for the Owls.

Graham, who had scored just one point until the four-minute mark of the second half, poured in five in the final minutes, including a running one-hander that gave the Owls the lead for good, 82-81 with 37 seconds left.

Prior to that, Graham drew a crucial charge against the Mean Green’s Ben Bell to give the Owls the ball back and set up Graham’s winner.

“We get charges all the time with PG,” Walters said. “He’s really good in open court situations. We try to make it an open court situation in a half court by putting him in flat ball screens. He attacks the basket, make some nice finds in those situations.”

On his game-winning shot, Graham said, “When I saw Los, I saw he had his man sealed. I wanted to give it to him, but once I saw my man kind of hug me, I just went around. Thank God it went in.”

The Owls rallied from a 10-point second half deficit for the win, doing it with a pressure defense that forced North Texas to slow its attack.

“They didn’t handle the ball too well, and Cordero (Nwoji) and Paul did a good job guarding the ball,” FAU forward Brett Royster said. “One of their primary ball-handlers got hurt, and he wasn’t in the game. And yeah, that pressure bothered them.”

Royster was referring to the injury suffered by Mean Green guard Josh White, who left the game in the first half after hitting his head on the court during a scramble for the ball.

Royster also had a breakout game, going 5-for-5 from the field while Monroe sat, contributing 10 points and most importantly, three blocks to tie Jeff Parmer for the team lead.

“He’s just a baby, he’s going to be getting so much better in the future as he gets stronger,” Walters said. “He made some great plays for us, some great blocked shots.”

Parmer added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Owls (6-13, 2-6 Sun Belt). North Texas fell to 12-6 (3-4).

Lady Owls fall

While the men were able to find the winning formula for one night, the women stumbled to a 74-66 loss in the early game.

Aubrey Jackson scored 14 straight points overlapping the end of the first and beginning of the second half to spark a 16-2 North Texas run that the Owls never recovered from.

“I think the second half we came out, the first couple of trips down the court we weren’t efficient,” Owls coach Chancellor Dugan said. “It’s just youth thinking that they can make any shot. Sometimes, you’ve just got to be patient.”

Jackson finished with 22 points and seven rebounds, and Erica Howard had 18 points and six rebounds for the Mean Green (9-10, 4-3 Sun Belt).

Jaimie Givens continued her strong season with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Carla Stubbs added 17 for FAU (4-12, 0-7).

FAU played without the services of senior guard Shuteamia Brayboy, who Dugan said was indefinitely suspended for violating team rules.

Owls celebrate football season at The Burrow

Prior to the doubleheader, the FAU football team was honored in a ceremony at The Burrow.

Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams and FAU President Frank Brogan made remarks to the crowd, and Coach Howard Schnellenberger lowered two banners commemorating the Owls’ Sun Belt Championship and their New Orleans Bowl win.

The Sun Belt Championship trophy and New Orleans Bowl trophy were officially presented to the Owls by Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters.