League-Leading Western Kentucky Tops FAU

Thursday, February 26

Bowling Green, Ky.

8:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

WKU

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Feb. 26, 2009

Final Stats

BOWLING GREEN, KY - Sun Belt Conference front-runners Western Kentucky proved too much for visiting Florida Atlantic, beating the Owls 87-67.

Western Kentucky (20-8; 14-3 Sun Belt) improves to 13-0 at home and can clinch the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt tournament with a win at Middle Tennessee St. on Saturday.

Paul Graham III - the league's top scorer - had 20 points for Florida Atlantic (6-24; 2-15 Sun Belt). Freshman guard Shavar Richardson added 15 and Carlos Monroe had 14 points and cleared 11 rebounds in 26 minutes.

The Toppers began the game making 4 of 5 from beyond the arc and would establish a 25-9 lead eight minutes in on a triple by Orlando Mendez-Valdez.

FAU went through a 6 minute stretch in the first half without scoring and the Toppers pulled ahead by 21 with just under four minutes left before intermission.

Graham's block and coast-to-coast layup in the closing moments of the half helped the Owls close the gap to 44-30 at halftime.

Nick Gagel opened the half by swishing-in a 3-pionter from the top of the key and Richardson added four of his 15 and FAU trailed by just 11.

Another costly FAU scoring draught - this one lasting four minutes - and a subsequent 7-0 Hilltoppers run, highlighted by a Mendez-Valdez trey, pushed the advantage back to 24, 63-49.

Mendez-Valdez was terrific for the Toppers on his Senior Night, making 4 of 8 from long range en route to finishing with 20 points. A.J. Slaughter was 7-for-11 from the field and scored 19.

The Owls wrap up its regular season schedule Saturday night at FIU. Florida Atlantic will be the No. 13 seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Tournament, playing on the road in First Round action Wednesday, March 4.

GAME NOTES: FAU freshman guard Nick Gagel appeared as a starter for the first time this season...WKU seniors Japeth Aguilar, Matt Maresca, Mike Walker and Orlando Mendez-Valdez were honored prior to the game as part of WKU's Senior Night...Brett Royster finished with nine points, three blocks and totaled seven rebounds for FAU.