Not even an offseason trip to Europe and the introduction of a few talented newcomers were enough to push the Owls to victory as they fell, 85-81, to Northwood on Thursday night at the Burrow.
Head coach Mike Jarvis and his Owls were defeated in their first of two preseason games, and Seahawks guard Jonathan Dunn played a big role in making that happen.
Dunn scored a game-high 42 points, including 12 from beyond the arc, in a game that revealed that FAU still has lots of work to do on defense as well as offense before its season opener on Nov. 12.
“That team that you saw tonight is not the team that’s been practicing these last two to three weeks,” said forward Brett Royster. “It’s not the team that was in Europe. It’s not us. We didn’t play smart. We didn’t play together.”
The Owls struggled all game when it came to shooting from three-point range. FAU went 2-25 from the perimeter while Northwood was 7-15.
“On a night when you’re not making shots, you don’t keep shooting,” said Jarvis. “When the wind is blowing, you don’t try to go to the bathroom outside. You find another place where you can go and shut the door.”
FAU trailed by as many as seven in the first half, but it regrouped and was able to make the score 36-36 at halftime.
The Owls struggled in the first half and throughout the game with their field goal percentage. FAU shot just 39.4% in the first period and finished the game with 40.8%, while Northwood ended with 42.6%.
Kore White was one of the bright spots for FAU at halftime. The 6-foot-8-inch forward, who had to sit out last season per NCAA rules as he transferred to FAU from Marshall, had eight points and six rebounds in the first half.
White finished the game with a double-double, grabbing 14 rebounds and scoring 13 points.
“Am I pleased [with White’s performance]? Yeah,” said Jarvis. “I’m pleased that he got a double-double and that he made some big plays. I’m pleased that he did what he’s supposed to do for the most part.
“But as good as he played, he could have played a lot better.”
That could be said for many of the Owls, who were without the services of star guard Ray Taylor and guard Darren Stewart. Both players were suspended for the game due to violation of team rules.
“You never know, you never know,” said Jarvis when asked if the suspensions could last into the season.”
Even playing shorthanded, the Owls managed to force overtime through layup from guard Greg Gantt with one second left in regulation.
Gantt’s shot forced overtime, where FAU fell behind by as many as seven. The Owls would cut the deficit to four, but could not close the gap completely as they lost in front of several hundred fans at the Burrow.
“If we’re going to make some mistakes, it’s better to do it now,” said freshman guard Pablo Bertone. “Now is the time to change all those mistakes.”
The Owls play their second and final game of the preseason at home versus Lynn University on Nov. 8.
Game notables: Gantt led the Owls in scoring with 17 points. Gantt struggled from three-point land, shooting 2-13. Newcomers Pablo Bartone and Dennis Mavin struggled, scoring five points and one point, respectively. The Owls hit 21-36 free throws in the loss.
