The FAU Owls picked up their sixth consecutive win, dominating the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles (7-3) on Wednesday night. 

“For only the second time all year, we had our full roster,” said head coach Dusty May, “We looked healthy, fast and explosive, and we took care of business at home.”

FAU started the game off by jumping to a quick 7-3 lead. Eagles’ senior guard Isaiah Thompson made a jumper to cut FAU’s four-point lead down to two. That was the closest the Eagles got, as FAU held a lead as large as 34 in the game.

Sophomore guard Alijah Martin made his return to play Wednesday night after missing two games with an ankle injury. 

“I used that time to be more vocal, become a better leader, and just have a lot of voice,” said Martin.

Martin came out hot off the bench with his first points coming from a three-pointer halfway through the first period. Martin, who’s averaging 12.6 points per game, led the team with 21 points.. Senior guard Michael Forrest had another great game off the bench, notching 10 points and five rebounds.

FAU jumped to a 12-5 lead in the first half after junior guard Jalen Gaffney made a three-pointer off an assist from Forrest. FGCU’s junior guard Chase Johnston hit a two-point jumper at the 12:30 mark of the first half to make the score 14-7.

After that, the Owls did not look back. FAU quickly went up a 16-point lead in less than four minutes. FAU remained distant until FGCU’s senior forward Dakota Rivers fired a three  to shorten the lead to 10. Bryan Greenlee ended the first half by nailing a three, which Martin also assisted. FAU was up 41-28 at halftime.

“First half, [the team] felt that we left 10 or 12 points on the floor with breakaways and missed dunks,” May said. “So, we really weren’t pleased with the way we played in the first half. We made errors defensively that were out of character. And so, we just tightened up in the second half.”

In the second half, FAU fans erupted as the Owls went on a scoring streak, adding 10 points compared to FGCU’s two. Junior guard Brandon Weatherspoon scored six of those 10.

The Owls went up big, 57-33, with Martin nailing a two-pointer. FAU quickly stretched the lead to 30 with a Forrest layup with just under 10 minutes left..

FAU ended the game with a three-pointer from redshirt freshman forward Tre Carroll, leaving the score 85-53 at the end of regulation.

The Owls’ next game will be against the St. Thomas University Bobcats (8-2), next Wednesday, Dec. 14 at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on C-USA TV.

Maddox Greenberg is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or DM via Facebook @maddox greenberg