Led by a combined 37 points from guards Greg Gantt and Stefan Moody, FAU dominated Warner University 83-50 at The Burrow for their third straight win.
The blowout victory should give the Owls a much needed boost as they prepare for Dayton and No. 1 ranked Indiana in the coming weeks.
“We need a bunch of these little wins so that we can have a little confidence when we go up against these big teams,” Moody said.
FAU improved to 5-4, reaching over the .500 mark for the first time this season. For the first 10 minutes of the game however, the scrappy Royals kept it close, but their challenge was short lived.
The Owls eventually built an insurmountable 20 point halftime lead on a 36-9 run. The Royals were unable to connect on a field goal from the 8:26 minute mark until the closing seconds of the half.
Defense was the main catalyst in the Owls’ victory. Warner shot 26.7 percent from the field in the game.
Following several strong scoring performances, including a career-high 34 point outing against Stetson, Gantt contributed 19 points despite struggling from the field. The senior shot 6 for 21, but was able to lean on Moody.
Moody came off the bench to connect on 5 of 8 shots including 3 of 4 from three point range.He also led the team with six assists, but the humble freshman saved all his praise for his teammates.
“We had a bunch of other guys filling in, playing their roles,” Moody said. “And it’s coming out good.”
Guard Pablo Bertone had 13 points and center Dragan Sekelja chipped in a game-high 11 rebounds for the Owls.
In the waning minutes of the blowout, Owls’ head coach Mike Jarvis emptied his bench with a lineup featuring Austin Hunt, Chris Bryant, Cavon Baker, Javier Lacunza, and DeVonte Thornton.
Thornton in particular showed some potential, as he scored seven points and played solid on ball defense. Jarvis was pleased with the freshman’s performance, playing the forward 17 minutes Sunday afternoon, more than he had all season.
Jarvis indicated that Thornton may see his role increase soon if he continues to improve in practice.
“Thornton has an opportunity this week in practice to earn some playing time against Dayton,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis, who previously coached at George Washington University, is no stranger to the University of Dayton Arena. He recalled how it was a fun place to play, but the Owls will find out for themselves on Saturday in a gym that seats nearly 14,000 fans.
FAU plays at Dayton on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
