The Owls (4-5) broke their four-game losing streak by defeating the Southeast Louisiana Lions 72-58 on Dec. 13.
FAU held the Lions (4-4), who came into the game ranked 10th nationally in offense averaging 84.9 points per game, to 42 percent shooting and 9 percent from beyond the arc. SLU was averaging 49 percent from the field, and 40 percent from three point land.
“Sometimes it’s not the defense as much as the pace,” says head coach Mike Jarvis. “We controlled the pace. They didn’t get as many shots as they usually get.”
The Lions shot 13 less times (55) compared to their season average, and shot eight less three’s (11) compared to their season average.
Senior forward Paul Graham III led the Owls with 19 points, and leads the team on the season with 14 points per game. He was honored for becoming the seventh player in FAU history to score 1,000 career points.
“It felt great being honored, but the main thing I was looking forward to was the win because we had lost our last four games,” says Graham.
Another honorary component of the game was the fact that Darius Weems, the subject of the 2007 award-winning film “Darius Goes West,” was on the sidelines helping coach the Owls to victory.
Weems has a disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He and the men’s basketball team viewed the film at Muvico Palace 20 in Boca Raton the night before the game. Any proceeds from tickets bought to watch the film, or from purchased DVDs after the game, went to a charity called Charley’s fund, which supports research for the disease.
“We won this game for him, it was great,” says Jarvis.
Senior forward Sammy Hernandez added to the great night by scoring a career high 10 points.
Sophomore forward Xavier Perkins did not play, and was not present for the game due to “personal issues,” according to Jarvis. Jarvis says Perkins’ chances of playing in their next game are “slim”.
The Owls fly over to Denver for their next game to begin conference play. The game is Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 9 p.m., and senior forward Carlos Monroe is expected to be playing for the first time this season, ending his streak of ineligibility.
FAU’s next home game will be at 2 p.m. on New Year’s Day against South Alabama.