Feb. 26, 2005

BOILING SPRINGS, NC - The Atlantic Sun Conference has released its official scenarios as the most-contested conference race in Division I basketball winds down this weekend. For the Owls, they learned today that a win against Gardner-Webb clinches a spot in the A-Sun Tournament. FAU will not make the field should it lose to the Bulldogs. FAU faces GWU tonight at 8:15pm in a game that will air live on WLVJ 1040-AM and www.fausports.com.

With just two games separating first from ninth in the loss column, FAU could finish as high as a no. 5 seed or as low as a no. 9. The top eight seeds advance to the A-Sun Tournament next week in Nashville.

In any case, FAU takes on a Gardner-Webb team that has been in first-place the entire season. FAU is coming off a big 89-83 victory at Campbell on Thursday in which Quinton Young poured in a career-high 34 points while making 10 three-pointers. GWU, on the other hand, was defeated by UCF 58-55 at home. The loss was only the Bulldogs' second at home all year.

FAU has won five straight road games and is 7-2 away from FAU Gymnasium in A-Sun games. That mark is, by far, the best in the A-Sun as no other team is above .500 on the road. FAU's only road losses came by a combined four points.

Mike Bell leads the A-Sun with 19.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Young has raised his average to 12.1ppg, which is still second on the team. He is shooting .410 from beyond the arc. Brian Bender leads the Bulldogs and is third in the A-Sun with 15.6ppg. Tim Jennings is averaging 13.3.

FAU lost to Gardner-Webb 76-69 back on December 4. The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2 with the road team winning each game.

The A-Sun Tournament begins next Thursday in Nashville, TN.