In the final preseason tune-up game before regular season play begins later in the week, the Owls managed to hold off the Rollins College Tars in The Burrow.

The 61-56 win showed signs of improvement for the Owls on the defensive side of the court.

“We did a very good job on defense,” says head coach Mike Jarvis.

According to Jarvis, Rollins College normally shoots over 50 percent from three-point land. The Tars went 9-33 from behind the arc for the game.

Another area the Owls dominated and improved upon is from the free throw line. They went 16-31 in their preseason opener against Lynn University; something Jarvis called, “Awful, and something to work on.”

Their free throw percentage was a strength against RC, going 32-40 from the line. The Tars reached the free throw line just 19 times, all of them coming in the second half.

Senior guard Paul Graham III, who scored 16 points and had some clutch shots in the second half, sees room to grow in other aspects, saying, “talking on defense, helping out down low on defense, being patient on offense and cutting down on turnovers” could help the Owls get that much better.

FAU’s first regular season game is against Monmouth University, a team that Jarvis says, “will do a lot of the same things [as Lynn University and Rollins College]. They try to get you to over commit and maybe open a back door.”

Doors open for the regular season opener at The Burrow on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.

Notes

* Carderro Nwoji had game-high 17 pts, Nick Wolf led Rollins with 15 points * Fast Break Pts.: FAU- 0, RCT- 10 * Points in Paint: FAU 22, RCT- 12 * Carlos Monroe held to 5 points * Xavier Perkins fouled out, had technical foul, finished with 12 pts. * Freshman Shavar Richardson didn’t play and was not dressed in uniform