FAU Men’s Basketball Clinches C-USA Tournament Spot with 60-41 Win Over Rice

Saturday, February 16

Boca Raton, Fla.

2 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

-1511, 67 CUSA

Rice

-1016, 58 CUSA

RICE

Florida Atlantic

FAU Men’s Basketball Clinches C-USA Tournament Spot with 60-41 Win Over Rice

2/16/2019 6:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. - (Feb. 16, 2019) – Defense was once again the calling card in the Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team's 60-41 win over Rice on Saturday. It was the third time in four games that FAU held an opponent to less than 50 points. With the win, FAU (16-11, 7-7 Conference USA) clinched a spot in this year's C-USA tournament and will finish with at least a .500 record for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

The Start
Both teams struggled out of the gates offensively, combining for just six points in the first seven and a half minutes. Eventually, FAU found its rhythm and scored the final 12 points of the first half, taking a 28-12 lead into the locker room. Three different FAU players scored during the rally.

The Turning Point
FAU pushed its lead to 20 early in the second half, before the Texas version of the Owls rallied to cut the margin in half, 38-28, with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game.

The Finish
At that point, Xavian Stapleton made a pair of free throws that began a streak of 15 unanswered FAU points that made the score 53-28. Rice made a modest rally to account for the final score.

Notables
Rice averaged 75.8 points per game in C-USA action coming into the game and was held nearly 35 points below its average

The 41 points were the lowest of the season allowed by FAU and the lowest scored by Rice. It ties for the second fewest allowed at the Division I level by FAU
FAU swept both games of a conference homestand for the first time since Jan. 14 and 16, 2016
FAU's 16 wins are its most since the 2010-11 season and its seven C-USA wins are its most since joining the conference
Xavian Stapleton came off the bench to score a game-high 14 points
Karlis Silins posted 10 points and five rebounds
Simeon Lepichev tallied eight points and eight rebounds in addition to another stout defensive performance
Richardson Maitre scored just two points, but had six rebounds and five assists. Head Coach Dusty May singled Maitre out for the calming effect he had on the team
All 12 active FAU players saw action in the game and nine of them scored.

Quotable
FAU Head Coach Dusty May

On his team's defense…

"It's been great effort by our guys. They have had great practice habits. They are battling like it's the first week of practice every day and we're getting great carryover. They are defending one-on-one, they're helping each other. Our communication is better than it has been all year. It's just a gradual process of improvement."

On his first year success…

"It's been a big 'we' factor. Everyone has pulled in the same direction since day one. No one cares about credit…that's usually where success comes from."

Looking Ahead
FAU will learn its Bonus Play schedule on Saturday night. For the most updated information, stay tuned to FAUsports.com.

Tickets
For tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visit FAUSports.com.

Social Media
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