Another game, but it’s the same old story in Owls country. They were in the game late, but couldn’t hit the big shots to bring home a victory.

FIU (7-12, 2-4 Sun Belt) came into FAU Arena on Jan. 15 for “Bury the Burrow in Red” night and left with their first road win of the season. The Owls (4-14, 0-6 Sun Belt) remain winless in Sun Belt play and have lost nine straight.
“What’s disappointing is we haven’t found anybody that will step up and lead us,” FAU coach Mike Jarvis says. “All it would take in so many of our games is that one guy that would make that big basket.”

Seniors Carderro Nwoji and Paul Graham III usually take most of FAU’s late-game shot attempts.

Jarvis says Nwoji plays too tough on defense to have anything left in the tank towards the final buzzer.

For Graham, the late-game magic just hasn’t been happening. In this 58-53 loss he missed two shots late in the game.
“You got to make baskets like that. Paul put his name in the draft last year. We’re going to find out if he’s good or not between now and the end of the year,” Jarvis says.

Whether or not that statement gets Graham going is yet to be seen, but FIU’s head coach Sergio Rouco feels FAU has plenty of potential.
“They’re a good ball club. [Jarvis] has got them playing hard, no matter their record,” Rouco says.

Jarvis could make excuses about his injury-plagued roster, but he feels that if the guys he has playing now would do what they’re told, they would be winning more games.
“You learn how to win by doing what you do in practice in a game. We’re a long way from that,” Jarvis says.

The Owls need their first road win of the season to come at North Texas on Saturday, Jan. 17 to keep their losing streak from hitting double digits.