Men’s basketball: Owls hold off late rally from WKU to win 65-62

January 13, 2013

Senior guard Greg Gantt protects the ball. He finished with 22 points. Photo by Western Kentucky University Media Relations.

FAU had to watch Western Kentucky University’s TJ Price miss a game-tying three pointer at the buzzer, but held on to win 65-62 on the road. This win brought their record to 9-9 on the season.

Senior guard Greg Gantt poured in 22 points, making 8 of his 19 shots. It’s Gantt’s ninth straight 20 point game (he’s 5th in the nation in scoring). The Owls senior also turned the ball over 7 times.

Junior guard Pablo Bertone also put up an impressive line. Averaging eight points per game, Bertone would finish with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Freshman guard Stefan Moody finished with 15 points tonight.

Owls sophomore Kelvin Penn took advantage of his 20 minutes of floor time. The 6’6” forward had a good all around performance behind 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 points, and 2 steals tonight.

Senior forward Jordan McCoy finishes strong at the basket. Photo by Western Kentucky University Media Relations.

With 1:23 left on the clock, WKU gave the Owls a scare when a missed free throw from Bertone led to a transition three from the Hilltoppers. That put WKU within 3 points of the Owls.

Despite the win, this was a sloppy game for FAU’s offense, as they finished with 24 turnovers. In contrast, WKU only coughed the ball up 12 times by game’s end. Though they’re the Sun Belt Conference’s best three point shooting team, the Owls only made 6 of their 17 shots from deep.

The Owls’ win brings them to 4-3 in conference play, tied with WKU.

FAU will take on Troy at home on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.