Jan. 13, 2009

Game Notes in PDF Format

FIU (3-13, 1-4 Sun Belt) at Florida Atlantic (4-11, 1-4 Sun Belt)
FAU Arena - Boca Raton, Florida
Wednesday, January 14- 7 p.m.

GAME SIXTEEN: The Florida Atlantic University basketball team looks to get back on the winning track as the Owls "Bury the Burrow in Red" against FIU on Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m.

SERIES: FIU leads 21-2; however, it's the Owls who have the last win in the series. On February 21, 2008, FAU got a double-double out of Carla Stubbs. She scored a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds as FAU downed the Golden Panthers 64-59. For the Owls, it was the first win over FIU since March 8, 1996.

RADIO/INTERNET: Steve Bishop will call the action with live streaming audio beginning at 6:45 p.m. on www.fausports.com.

BURY THE BURROW IN RED: Wednesday's contest is part of Florida Atlantic Athletics' annual "Bury the Burrow in Red" the series. The Owls are also competing in the annual NCAA/Sun Belt Conference (SBC) `Pack the House Challenge'. The Owls are hoping to top their previous `Pack the House' record. Wednesday's game is "Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night" at FAU. Any FAU faculty or staff member who presents their Owl card at the time of purchase is eligible for "buy one get one free" tickets. Hot dogs and Pepsi also will be available for $1. For tickets or more information, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: FAU came down to the wire in their matchup against Western Kentucky on Sunday. The Owls fell short as a half-court heave from the Lady Toppers' Amy McNear gave WKU a 79-77 win over FAU. The basket by McNear ended a back and forth second half where both teams shot over 60 percent from the field. Brittany Bowe (Ocala/Trinity Catholic HS) led the Owls with a season-high 21 points, as she knocked down eight-of-11 shots from the field and also had six assists. Carla Stubbs (Miami/Jackson HS) and Breana Turner (New Orleans, LA/De La Salle HS) each scored 16 points, Turner came off the bench and scored 12 of her points in the second half. FAU shot 52 percent from the field (30-57) and only committed 10 turnovers.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: FIU has struggled with a young roster this season. The Golden Panthers are 3-13 and 1-4 in the Sun Belt after losing at Middle Tennessee 68-35 on Sunday. FIU is last in the league in points per game. However, they do feature one of the most prolific scorers in junior Monika Bosilj, who averages 16 points per game, and is sixth in the conference. Bosilj was dominant for the Golden Panthers in the last meeting between the two teams, scoring 27 points and draining five three-pointers as she kept FIU close.

TURNER CLASSIC: Freshman Breana Turner turned in one of the best performances by a freshman in school history against Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night. Turner poured in 26 points, a career-high and the most points scored by any FAU player since Mistoria Brown scored 33 points against North Texas on January 20, 2007. It's also the most points scored by a freshman since Chantale Jones scored 26 against Boston University on December 6, 1998. Turner followed that performance with a 16 point effort against WKU on January 17. She averages 11.4 points per game in conference play.

OWLS PLAY STRONG SCHEDULE: FAU played some of the top teams in the country in non-conference play. FAU has faced four teams in the RPI-top 100, according to realtimerpi.com Texas (13), Baylor (14), Middle Tennessee (38) and Western Kentucky (85). The Owls boast a win over South Alabama, who was ranked 88th at the time of the victory. In conference play the Owls will face two more teams currently in the top-100, Arkansas-Little Rock (60) and ULM (93) Going back to the Texas game on November 30, the last ten opponents boast a combined record of 91-57.

BOWE EMERGES IN SUN BELT PLAY: Since the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout in December, Brittany Bowe has emerged as one of the main options on offense. She's second on the team in scoring during the conference season at 12.4 points per game and second in rebounding at just over five boards per contest. Her performance was highlighted by a 21 point performance against WKU on January 11.

KEEPING IT CLOSE: Though FAU would like to come away with a few more victories, the Owls have played in a number of tight games this season. The Owls have played in six games that were decided by seven points or less this year. That's compared to six games that were decided by the same margin all of 2007-08. That total does not include the 76-66 overtime loss to Denver that was close through the final minutes of regulation.

STUBBS SCORING AND DISHING Since being re-inserted in the starting lineup against UCF on November 22, Carla Stubbs has returned to the form that led to her being named All-Sun Belt Third Team last season. Since being inserted in the lineup, Stubbs has scored double-digits in all but two games over a twelve-game stretch. Among the noteworthy performances was a 12 point, nine rebound game in the win over Bethune-Cookman November 25, and a 21 point performance. Stubbs has also been dishing out assists at a personal record pace. She has 37 assists, ten more than she had all of last year.

NEXT UP The Owls go on the road to face North Texas on Saturday, January 17 at 6 p.m. in Denton, Texas. Live audio is available live on www.fausports.com.