What : Florida Memorial (6-6, 2-0) vs FAU (8-6, 2-0) When : Monday, Jan. 3rd @ 7:00 PM EST Where : FAU Arena TV : None Live Video : None Internet Broadcast : Here Live Stats : Owls’ GameTracker Florida Memorial Team Site : Here Probable Starters : Florida Memorial G Roderick Davis 7.8 ppg G George Gray 21.6 ppg G Matthew Rolle 12.9 ppg G Mark Rolle 13.9 ppg F Giorgio Gramegna 7.8 ppg FAU G Ray Taylor 10.7 ppg G Alex Tucker 8.8 ppg G Greg Gantt 14.3 ppg F Kore White 8.6 ppg F Brett Royster 7.6 ppg The series The Owls own a 4-2 all-time mark over the Lions and have not lost in the last four meetings. 11/19/88 H L 90-96 02/23/89 A L 92-108 11/30/89 H W 65-55 11/16/90 H W 96-93 01/28/92 H W 77-66 11/28/06 H W 94-60 Florida Memorial at a Glance Tabbed to finish fourth in the Sun this year by league coaches, the Lions are 2-0 in conference play after convincing wins over St. Thomas (78-62) and Johnson & Wales (102-88). Last Wednesday, FMU fell 74-73 to Bethel College in the waning moments of the contest despite a +11 turnover advantage. Junior guard George Gray (21.6 ppg), who received two player of the week nods for December , is the go-to-guy for the Lions. Gray has only played in eight of FMU’s games, but has taken more shots than any other roster member and leads the team from long from long range at 46.4% (13-of-28). With 85% of all scoring on the season coming at the guard spot, Florida Memorial relies very heavily on their back court. Forward Giorgio Gramegna is the only true threat up front. FAU at a Glance For the first time since 1996, FAU is off to an 8-6 start. FMU is the second team Florida Atlantic will take on from the Sun Conference (NAIA) this season. The Owls tipped off the 2010-11 slate by dropping an 85-81 decision in overtime to fellow member Northwood back on November 4th. It’s been almost a month since the Owls played a contest at FAU Arena after having embarked on a five game road swing in which they finished 3-2, but most importantly, opened Sun Belt play with two victories. “We accomplished our main goal which was to win our two league games”, said coach Mike Jarvis. “We finished the road trip with a winning record…but we could have just as easily gone 0-5, so all in all it was a good trip.” Additionally, Ray Taylor, who has put up double-digit scoring efforts in five straight games, was recently named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after a 22 point average against conference opponents Troy and ULM. After arriving back in Boca Raton FAU received extra time off when Manhattan, who was scheduled to come to town on December 30th, was snowed in and couldn’t catch a flight down. “We were competitive in every game (before the break), but we weren’t playing great. When you play so many games in such a short amount of time, you don’t have a lot of time to practice, so I don’t think having a couple of (extra) days off will hurt that much” Jarvis said. Greg Gantt, who has accounted for 21.0% of the Owls’ points this season, set a career high with 8 rebounds against DePaul during the last game of the trip. Latest Line : NA Owl’s Nest Prediction While having to defend four guards may present a new challenge for Florida Atlantic’s defense, the Lion’s lack of a front court presence will be an obstacle for FMU against the Owls. The Lions will get their share of short range baskets while looking to push the pace. But when the ball is thrown inside by either team, FAU should capitalize. FAU -8+
