Jan. 20, 2009

Game Notes in PDF Format

LOUISIANA-MONROE (5-13) @ FLORIDA ATLANTIC (4-15)
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009 - FAU Arena (5,000)
Boca Raton, FL - 7:00 p.m. ET

GAME #20: Florida Atlantic hosts Sun Belt rival Louisiana-Monroe Thursday night at the FAU Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Owls (4-15) are still in search of its fist conference win. The Warhawks (5-13) are 0-10 on the road this season.

THE SERIES: FAU is 2-0 all-time versus ULM. FAU, in its third Sun Belt season, has played ULM once in each of the past two years. FAU overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to beat ULM 77-72 last season at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe. Sanchez Hughley - who is sitting out this season due to injury - scored a career-high 18 points for FAU in that win last year. FAU won the first-ever meeting between the two schools, 73-62, at the FAU Arena in Boca Raton on January 24, 2007.

TV/RADIO/INTERNET: All of FAU's regular-season games (home and away) will air on live commercial radio WFTL - 640 AM with audio links available via FAUSPORTS.com. Evan Cohen (play-by-play) and Sanchez Hughley (analysis) will call the game for WFTL on Thursday. Live scoring via GAMETRACKER and an additional video feed can also be accessed on FAUSPORTS.com.

GAME PROMOTIONS: All kids wearing their youth league basketball jersey receive $1 admission... "All-U-Can-Eat" Reserved Seats (hot dog, nachos, popcorn and soft drinks) are just $10... FREE food vouchers good for a hotdog, popcorn or nachos for the first 100 FAU students... FREE Drink for the first 100 fans. For tickets or more information call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.

GAME NOTES:
# Mike Jarvis (367-217 all-time) is in his 1st year as FAU head coach
# FAU is attempting to break a 10-game losing streak
# FAU is coming off a 69-60 road loss to North Texas Saturday which followed a narrow 58-53 setback against rival FIU last Thursday
# Four underclassmen (3 freshmen, 1 sophomore) started for FAU last time out
# ULM has lost four-straight and is winless on the road this season
# ULM comes to town after losing two close games last week, a 65-62 road loss to Arkansas St. and a 71-70 home loss to Troy
# Both teams rank near the bottom of the league in scoring offense; ULM shoots a league-low 39.6% from the field
# FAU plays well defensively - holding its opponents under 80 points in 11 of its last 13 games
# FAU is last in the Sun Belt East division standings (0-7), while ULM is last in the SBC West (1-6)
# FAU senior point guard Carderro Nwoji is scoring a team-high 15.6 ppg in FAU's last five games
# FAU leading scorer and preseason all-league guard Paul Graham III (16.6 ppg) is expected to play Thursday after sitting out Saturday's game at UNT
# Sophomore F Brett Royster had a career-high 14 points and 11 rebounds last time out
# Freshmen Shavar Richardson (11.2 ppg) and Alex Tucker (4.2 apg) join Royster as part of FAU's youth movement under Jarvis. The rookie guards are playing around 30 minutes per night
# The Owls are beginning their 3rd season in the Sun Belt Conference, starting 0-5 last season before rallying to finish 8-10
# The Owls had started the season 3-1 for the first time in its 15-year Division I history but have since lost 14 of 15
# FAU has played 13 of its 19 games on the road this season
# ULM - one season removed from claiming an SBC co-West division title - was 10-21 last season and 4-14 in SBC play (last in SBC West)
# FAU is 35-10 at the FAU Arena over the past three years including going 7-3 vs. the SBC at home last season
# UP NEXT: @ Arkansas State (12-6; 4-3 Sun Belt) Saturday, Jan. 22 at 5:05 p.m. ET

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: The Owls (4-15) had just three available bench players during a 69-60 setback at North Texas on Saturday. Depleted by injury and eligibility, first-year head coach Mike Jarvis inherited a team that is currently without three of its top players, including preseason Sun Belt Conference "Player of the Year" Carlos Monroe (injured), sophomore guard Xavier Perkins (eligibility) and returning starter Sanchez Hughley (INJ). FAU is getting double-figures in scoring from three guards, senior Paul Graham III averages a team-high 16.6 points per game, freshman Shavar Richardson scores 11.2 per night and senior point guard Carderro Nwoji adds 10.2. The three guards provide most of the offense and 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Brett Royster (2.2 blocks pg) offers a legitimate defensive presence underneath. Royster is coming off his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks against UNT. Jarvis, who took Boston University, George Washington and St. John's into postseason play in his first season with each school, is trying to build a winning-program at FAU - a school that has made one NCAA Tournament appearance (2002) in its 15-year Division I history. Royster, freshman F Chris Watson (Daytona Beach, FL) and rookie guards Richardson (Brooklyn, NY) and Alex Tucker (San Pedro, CA) were part of FAU's young starting lineup Saturday night.

LOUISIANA MONROE: Former Alabama assistant Orlando Early is in fourth season as ULM head coach. Two years ago Early was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year after guiding ULM - picked to finish last in the seven-team SBC West Division - to an 11-7 divisional record and co-West Division title. However, last season ULM finished 4-14 against the Sun Belt and last in the SBC West. Similar to FAU, the Warhawks (5-13) have been successful at home, but struggle on the road. ULM brings a 14-game road losing streak into Thursday night's game and will be without senior all-conference guard Tony Hooper (INJ) for the remainder of the season. Recent road losses to Denver (58-47) and Arkansas State (65-62) precluded a narrow 71-70 home loss to Troy Saturday night. During its non-conference schedule ULM defeated Morehead State (56-54) and Stephen F. Austin (60-58) at home while losing road games to Mississippi State (78-49) and Auburn (78-55). The Warhawks score 64.7 points per game, led by sophomore forward Gilbert Lawrence (13.8 ppg/5.7 rpg).

UP NEXT: @ Arkansas State Saturday, January 22 at 5:05 p.m. ET. The Red Wolves (12-6; 4-3 Sun Belt) and first-year head coach John Brady are serious contenders for the SBC West title. The game will be televised live on CSS.