Jan. 7, 2009

Game Notes in PDF Format

FLORIDA ATLANTIC (4-11) @ MIDDLE TENNESSEE ST. (9-5)
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 - Murphy Center (11,520)
Murfreesboro, TN - 8:00 p.m. ET

GAME #16: The first of 12-straight Sun Belt Conference games begins for FAU (4-11; 0-3 SBC) Thursday night in Murfreesboro when the Owls face Middle Tennessee State (9-5; 3-0 SBC). The tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

THE SERIES: FAU claimed a 75-67 win over MTSU at the FAU Arena in the two team's last meeting, February 23, 2008. The Owls are beginning their third Sun Belt season and have played a home-and-home series with Middle Tennessee State in each of the last two years. Middle Tennessee joined the Sun Belt in 2000-01. The two teams have met a total of five times, with MTSU winning a neutral site, non-conference game in December of 2005. MTSU owns a 4-1 all-time series edge and have won both meetings in Murfreesboro, including a 61-57 win on Jan. 9th of last season.

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. Steve Bishop (play-by-play) will call the game for WFTL on Thursday.

GAME NOTES:
# Mike Jarvis (367-213 all-time) is in his 1st year as FAU head coach
# Jarvis is one of the most accomplished coaches in NCAA history, having won 100+ games at three different schools (BU, GW, STJ)
# FAU is coming off an 85-69 road loss to Miami
# The Owls have began the year playing 11-of-15 away from home
# FAU is finishing up a stretch of playing 10 of 12 on the road
# The game features two of the Sun Belt's top post players in FAU senior F Carlos Monroe (14.2 ppg/5.6 rpg) and MTSU's F Desmond Yates (18.9 ppg/5.3 rpg)
# The Owls had started the season 3-1 for the first time in its 15-year Division I history but have since lost 10 of 11
# Senior G Paul Graham III is averaging 23.1 points per game in FAU's last 5
# Graham leads the team in scoring (17.5 ppg) and ranks 3rd in the league
# Graham and MTSU's Calvin O'Neil were prep school teammates at Philadelphia's Luthern Christian Academy, a squad that had 10 players sign with Division I programs and was ranked No. 3 nationally
# FAU was limited to just seven available scholarship players last time out
# Middle Tennessee St. has reeled off five-straight wins
# The Blue Raiders were 17-15 last season and finished one spot head of FAU in the Sun Belt Eastern Division standings, coming in third with an 11-7 league record
# FAU is 0-9 on the road and is averaging just four wins per season away from home since 2005
# UP NEXT: FAU plays back-to-back home games for the first time this season, the first coming against Western Kentucky Saturday, January 10 at 7 p.m. ET.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: The Owls (4-11) are in the midst of a six-game stretch where they are playing five tournament teams from a year ago [UAB (NIT), Kentucky (NCAA), South Alabama (NCAA), Miami (NCAA) and Western Kentucky (NCAA)] and the preseason favorites to win the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee State. Despite 25 points from senior guard Paul Graham III and 21 from classmate Carlos Monroe, FAU slipped to 0-3 in the Sun Belt after dropping a 74-69 decision at home to league rival South Alabama last Thursday. FAU will be looking to snap a six-game losing streak when they play MTSU. Due to injury and eligibility just seven scholarship players were available vs. Miami Monday night. Despite being shorthanded FAU trailed the `Canes by just five at halftime and were in the game deep into the second half. Guard Paul Graham III is having a terrific senior season, eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau for his career vs. UMKC on Nov. 22 and has upped his scoring output to a career-best 17.5 points per game. He is one of the top scorers in the Sun Belt and is looking like a strong candidate for first team all-league honors. F Carlos Monroe (14.2 ppg/5.6 rpg) is expected to play Thursday night at MTSU after sitting out against Miami for academic reasons. Freshman starter G Shavar Richardson averages double figures in scoring (10.9 ppg) and back-court teammate PG Carderro Nwoji poured in a season-high six 3s last time out against UM.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE ST: Seventh-year head coach Kermit Davis and his Blue Raiders (9-5) were picked the win the league this season by the Sun Belt's coaches. Nine letterwinners returned from a MTSU team that advanced into the 2008 SBC tournament final last season. The Blue Raiders have won five-straight and are off to a 3-0 start in the SBC after beginning the year winning just 4 of their first 9. Davis is armed with one of the league's best players in junior F Desmond Yates (18.9 ppg). Yates scored 25 in an 89-80 overtime win at North Texas last week and made 8-of-13 from the field helping MTSU to an 82-67 victory at South Alabama on Saturday. MTSU scores 73.9 points per game - 80+ in each of its first three Sun Belt games - and scores efficiently, shooting 47% from the field as a team. Defensively, teams are managing just 63 points per game against the Blue Raiders.

NEXT UP: vs. Western Kentucky (9-5; 3-0 SBC) Saturday, January 10 at 7 p.m. ET at the FAU Arena. WKU advanced into the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 last season. WKU will be sending back a live television feed of Saturday night's game to its local market in Bowling Green. The first 500 fans will receive a FREE FAU bandana, the first 200 fans will receive a FREE Amp Energy drink and the first 50 FAU students will receive a FREE red megaphone. For tickets and more information call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.