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BOCA RATON – FAU went cold in the second half after a scorching start against Old Dominion, then pulled away from the Monarchs in the closing minutes for a 80-73 win.
The Owls made 61 percent of their field goal and three-point attempts through the game’s first 20 minutes. That trend would not continue down the stretch.
FAU missed 15 of its 25 second-half shots, relying on its defense and hustle plays to maintain the victory.
Home continues to be sweet for the Owls. FAU coach Dusty May’s team remains unbeaten through six home games, improving to 2-1 in Conference USA play.
After being down nine at the half, a steal and score from Old Dominion made it 68-64 FAU with 3:10 remaining. Old Dominion’s deficit remained four, 70-66, with 1:38 to go, until Anthony Adger drained a corner triple to extend his team’s lead back to seven.
Xavian Stapleton emphatically blocked an Old Dominion layup with under a minute to go and his team up five, taking the air out of both the ball and the Monarchs’ comeback bid.
GAMEBROWSER: FAU (11-5, 2-1) 80, ODU (11-5, 1-2) 73
MOVING FORWARD:Stapleton knocked down four triples in his second game back from a knee injury, scoring 23 total on the night. … Michael Forrest bounced back from a scoreless performance against Middle Tennessee to pour in 12 tonight. … Richardson Maitre scored an efficient 13 points, going 4-6 from the field and 2-3 from deep.
FALLING BACKWARD: FAU was lax on the defensive glass tonight, allowing Old Dominion to pull down 14 offensive rebounds. … After scoring 22 points per night over his past six games, guard Anthony Adger managed only 13 tonight.
KEY STAT: 84.2 – FAU’s free-throw percentage on 18 second-half free-throw attempts, those points proving essential when shots weren’t falling with as often as earlier.
UP NEXT: FAU can extend its home-winning streak to seven this Saturday against Charlotte. Tip off from the Burrow is set for 4 p.m.
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