March 7, 2003

BOCA RATON, FL -- Florida Atlantic University will play its final regular season game Saturday night when it hosts Stetson University. The game begins at 7:00pm at FAU Gymnasium and can be heard live on www.fausports.com.

FAU enters the game with a 13-13 record overall and an 11-4 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Lady Owls are tied with Troy State for second-place in the A-Sun South, one game behind leader UCF (12-3). Stetson enters the game with a 6-20 record and is 5-10 in the A-Sun.

The evening will feature senior night as Tamica Pierce and Crystal Boyland will be recognized prior to the game. Pierce and Boyland are 1 and 2, respectively, in scoring this year. Pierce leads the team with 13.0 points per game while Boyland averages 10.9. Both players transferred to FAU prior to their junior seasons and have helped lead the team to its most successful two-year stretch since the program moved to Division I in 1993.

FAU is coming off its most convincing win of the season after defeating Jacksonville, 78-54, Thursday night at home. Janka Deckerova led three Lady Owls in double-figures with 13 points. FAU forced JU into 34 turnovers and controlled the boards, 44-27. The Lady Owls have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 18 over the past two games.

The Hatters are coming off a 69-56 loss at Central Florida on Thursday and have lost six of their past eight games. Kristy Brown leads the team with 15.0ppg and 8.5rpg. Joslyn Giles averages 11.7 points per game.

Stetson leads the all-times series 18-9, but FAU has won five of the last seven games. That includes an 86-70 win on January 9 in DeLand. FAU is 5-7 against Stetson at FAU Gymnasium with three straight wins.

FAU has clinched a berth in the A-Sun Tournament, March 13-15, in Orlando. A win against Stetson would give the Lady Owls the no. 2 seed out of the South Division. Should FAU end the season tied with Troy State, it would win the tiebreaker by virtue of its two wins against the Trojans this season.

Tickets are available at the door. Prices are $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and those 18 years and younger.