Published Feb 8, 2019
Badger's eight 3-pointers help FAU overwhelm UTEP
MINER ILLUSTRATED
Rivals

New Texas Western threads were introduced, a legend was honoured, and Kobe Magee proved that he’s this team’s floor general -- but no Miner could find a rhythm in response to Florida Atlantic’s 13 3-pointers, and FAU left the Haskins Center with a 61-48 win on Texas Western Night.

Anthony Adger’s 8-of-11 performance from three (27 points) was a lesson in why to keep shooting when you’re in rhythm -- carrying the Owls’ 50-percent performance from beyond the arc (13-of-26). No other FAU player scored in double figures as the rest of the team finished 14-of-44 from the field (32 percent).

Nigel Hawkins was UTEP’s leading scorer (12) with the Miners finishing 5-of-27 from three (19 percent), 10-of-26 from two (38 percent), and 13-of-18 from free throw (72 percent), while Efie Odigie grabbed 10 rebounds (seven points).

The Miners led for 49 seconds through the game’s first 2:39 before the Owls tied the game 4-4 as the clock read 17:21.

Almost three minutes later, the Owls hit their second 3-pointer to go up 7-4 and give a preview for how they’d keep a lead the rest of play.

Florida Atlantic’s lead-taking 3-pointer was followed with a consecutive three on the Owls’ next possession and a third straight 3-ball with 14:58 on the clock. A fourth straight basket then capped an 11-0 run that gave the Owls their first of three half-high, 11-point leads (15-6, 27-16, 30-19).

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UTEP got the deficit back down to a low of five points (17-12) at 10:41 before FAU’s lead fluctuated between a high of eight and low of six through the next six-plus minutes.

The Owls took their second 11-point lead as the clock read 4:04 (27-16), and the final four minutes saw a three from each team give FAU a 30-19 advantage at halftime.

The Owls extended their lead to 14 (36-22) nearly two minutes out of the break, and the Miners responded with a stretch that put them within two possessions.

UTEP outscored FAU 14-6 through the next six minutes to cut the deficit to six (42-36) at 12:13, but Florida Atlantic answered with a jumper 19 seconds later and stayed ahead by at least three possessions the rest of the way.

The Owls’ lead got up to a game-high 15 (54-39) as the clock read 6:54, six straight UTEP points put it back to nine at 3:13, and a basket with two minutes to play helped FAU stay ahead by double digits.