The Owls took on Florida College and added their third consecutive win at the Burrow with a final score of 107-72.

Coming off a loss on the road against Stetson University, the Owls were hungry to get another win up their sleeve, especially on their home court. The team worked collaboratively to make sure they were executing their plays and collecting buckets where they could.

In their previous home game, FAU had a score of 112 and they did it again, scoring in the 100s for a third consecutive home game. They started the streak with a school-record 128 points against Florida National.

“We’re definitely more comfortable shooting the ball at home like most teams are,” head coach Dusty May said. “Our guys spend a lot of time in this gym.”

Setting the tone to build the Owls’ offensive momentum, senior forward Jailyn Ingram led the first half with 15 points, shooting at 50 percent from the field and putting up dunks. 

Ingram ended the game with a game-high 26 points on 63 percent shooting in 17 minutes of playtime.

Junior guard Michael Forrest and sophomore guard Bryan Greenlee were next in line, carrying the team with their accurate shots from the three-point line, with a combined number of seven out of 13 total shots.

“Man, he’s [Forrest] a competitor and he brings it every single day,” May said. “B.J. – Bryan Greenlee – he’s evolved as a player, as a person, and as a leader – [I] couldn’t be more pleased with his progression of where he was a month or two ago.”

FAU’s plays were carefully assessed as they kept a swift ball rotation, which ultimately showed as they only had half of the Falcon’s turnovers at five of 10. 

“Our ball movement was much better. I thought defensively, we defended the three-point line much better,” May said.

The game was shot for shot and play for play, as Florida College fought to keep up with the competition. During the first half, they were shooting 9-30 from the field. 

The Falcons’ leading players, senior guard Jalon Perry, junior guard Matt Simpson, and freshman forward Ladarron Cleveland each maintained 10 points and above, adding to their team’s overall score. Simpson held the team with the highest field goal percentage of 50 percent. 

Cleveland played his role as a point guard effectively, knowing what calls to make to complete successful plays for his team. He shot three after three with a total three-point percentage of 75 percent.

Trailing behind the Owls, Florida College performed aggressively on defense, fouling FAU 15 times.

Though the Owls maintained the lead throughout the game, they still played hard until the very end and showed they were enjoying the game of basketball, which reflected in tonight’s results.

“We have a big homestand right after the break against Middle Tennessee, and based on recent history, almost every game against Middle comes down to the wire,” May said. “Hopefully our age, experience, and leadership will get us through in these back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.”

FAU will pick up their season right where they left off at home against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2021, at 7 p.m. and Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on C-USA TV.

Bria Smith is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her @itsbriiaa.