Florida Atlantic University Athletics
FAU Women's Basketball Travels to the Bahamas This Week
12/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2008
Florida Atlantic (3-5) vs. Mercer (5-3)
Sunshine Shootout
Kendall Isaacs Gymnasium - Nassau, Bahamas
Thursday, December 18 - 4 p.m.
GAME NINE: The Florida Atlantic women's basketball team plays the first of their two games in the Bahamas when they face Atlantic Sun foe Mercer in the Sunshine Shootout on Thursday at 4 p.m.
SERIES: Mercer leads the series 19-14. After today's game, Mercer will tie Stetson for the most games played against Florida Atlantic. FAU has taken the last two games in the series, both in 2006 when the Owls won the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Owls won 82-75 at FAU Arena on February 12, 2006. Then on March 10 of that year, FAU won again, 70-65, in the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun tournament.
SUNSHINE SHOOTOUT: There are six teams in the 2008 Sunshine Shootout (FAU, Mercer, East Carolina, Memphis, Georgia Tech, Winthrop) Three of the teams will compete in a tournament format, the other three, including the Owls, will be in a round-robin tournament. FAU faces East Carolina on Saturday at 4 p.m.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC: FAU led the entire game against Denver on Saturday. In the second half, a Carla Stubbs (Miami, FL/Jackson HS) threepointer put the Owls up 44-33. However, the Pioneers cut into the lead and eventually tied the game with three seconds left on a three by Denver's Brianna Culberson. In the extra session, the Pioneers outscored FAU 12-2 to walk away with a 76-66 victory. Stubbs led the Owls with 17 points, Brittany Bowe (Ocala, FL/Trinity Catholic HS) scored eight of her nine points in the second half and overtime. However, FAU only made 35 percent (21-60) of their shots and only went nine-of-30 from the field in the second half and overtime. Jessica Knurick led the Owls in rebounds with ten to go along with her eight points.
MERCER: The Bears are currently 5-3 on the season after having their three game winning streak snapped with a 74-54 loss at Florida State on Sunday. The Bears have already matched their win total for all of last year thanks to a balanced scoring attack from their starters. Four players averaged double-figures, led outside by guard LaToya Jackson who averages 15 points per game and inside by senior forward Dominique Chism who averages 14.8 points a game. Mercer has already played two opponents that FAU will face in the Sun Belt conference this year, defeating Louisiana-Lafayette 71-62 and falling to South Alabama 96-82. They face a third common opponent in South Carolina State, whom they defeated 78-54.
STUBBS CONTINUES TO PAY DIVIDENDS: Since being re-inserted in the starting lineup against UCF on November 22, Carla Stubbs has returned to the form that led to her being named All-Sun Belt Third Team last season. Over the last five games, Stubbs has averaged 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Among the noteworthy perfomances was a 12point, nine rebound game in the win over Bethune-Cookman November 25, and a 17 point performance in the Sun Belt opener against Denver. THE KNU(RICK) DEAL: Jessica Knurick has picked up the rebounding slack in the past two games for the Owls. Knurick picked up a career-high 11 rebounds against UIC on December 3, ten days later, she picked off ten boards and scored eight points keeping the Owls close against Denver.
