Feb. 22, 2005

BOCA RATON, FL - With just five days remaining in the Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball regular season, very little has yet to be determined as to what next week's A-Sun Tournament will look like. That's because only one team has clinched a berth in the championship, while nine others are battling for the remaining seven spots. It is that mix Florida Atlantic University finds itself in with two games remaining on its schedule. The Owls face Campbell and Gardner-Webb this week in road games that will air live on WLVJ 1040-AM and www.fausports.com.

As of Wednesday morning, the Owls find themselves tied for eighth-place with Mercer at 9-9. Lipscomb defeated Belmont Tuesday night to break out of what was a three-way tie with the Owls and Bears.

Gardner-Webb, which won just nine games overall last year, is at the top of the A-Sun at 12-6. Next is UCF at 11-7 followed by Belmont at 11-8. One game off that pace and a game ahead of FAU are Troy, Jacksonville, and Georgia State at 10-8. One-half game in front of the Owls is Lipscomb. Below FAU are Stetson (8-10) and Campbell (0-18). In other words, only one game separates fourth from ninth.

Remarkably, it's still too early to tell what scenarios would guarantee the Owls a berth in the tournament. However, wins against Campbell and Gardner-Webb would go a long way in assuring FAU a spot in next week's championship bracket. In one of the wildest scenarios, eight teams could be tied for second place at 11-9.

The plus for the Owls is their uncanny success on the road. FAU has set a team record with six A-Sun wins away from FAU Gymnasium. Its 6-2 record is the best in the conference. The two losses were by a combined four points.

First up for FAU is Campbell. FAU faces the 2-23 Camels Thursday night at 8:00pm. Campbell enters the game with a 20-game losing streak that was started December 14 in an 82-59 loss at FAU. However, of the eight home losses suffered by the Camels, only one has been by more than seven points. Overall, Campbell has lost 62 of its past 72 games and 53 of its past 57 A-Sun games. FAU has won four straight and six of seven against Campbell.

On Saturday, FAU concludes the critical road trip at Gardner-Webb. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15pm. The Bulldogs have been the biggest surprise in the A-Sun this year. After finishing ninth in 2003-04, GWU was picked to finish ninth in both of this year's preseason polls. Instead, they have occupied first-place the entire season and have posted a 10-1 record at home. FAU lost to GWU, 76-69, December 4 in Boca Raton.

Florida Atlantic is hoping to have a chance to win an A-Sun Tournament it won in 2002, the last time FAU advanced to the NCAA Tournament.