Sanchez Hughley is averaging 9.9 points per game (FAUOwlAccess file photo)
‘Night and day’
FAU lost to Louisiana-Lafayette earlier this season, but the Owls are a different team than the one that opened Sun Belt play against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Originally published on
2/10/2010
by
Marcus Nelson
> GamePreview: Our preview capsule of the game
BOCA RATON – When Florida Atlantic plays host to Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. Thursday the Owls will be playing in a rematch for the first time this season.
Too bad for the Ragin’ Cajuns (11-12, 8-4 Sun Belt Conference) the film from ULL’s victory over FAU on Dec. 12 is virtually useless.
The Owls (12-12, 8-5) have little resemblance to the team that lost to the Ragin’ Cajuns 81-74 in the first Sun Belt Conference game of the year.
At that point, just eight games into the season, the Owls were still trying to figure things out.
“We were a different team,” said FAU coach Mike Jarvis. “We were tinkering with so much stuff. I was even crazy enough to try Brett (Royster) at the (small forward). If you think our defense was bad last week, it was worse earlier. I’m sure they are better, but our team is night and day from where we were that day. Hopefully they haven’t improved as much as we have.”
The Owls eventually did figure themselves out as their recent five-game winning streak showed. But FAU is looking to snap a different streak after losing the last two games.
“It’s not that we need to bounce back, it’s that we need to play well,” Jarvis said.
It won’t be easy vs. the Ragin’ Cajuns, who have won three consecutive games - the longest current winning streak in the Sun Belt.
GamePreview: Louisiana-Lafayette @ FAU
Louisiana-Lafayette (11-12, 8-4 Sun Belt Conference)
at FAU (12-12, 8-5)
About the Ragin’ Cajuns: ULL’s Tyren Johnson was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after averaging 26.0 points per game last week in victories vs. FIU and UALR. …Johnson also leads the conference in scoring with 17.2 ppg. …ULL is 7-3 since Jan. 1.
About the Owls: FAU won last year’s meeting at FAU Arena and the all-time series is tied 2-2. …The Owls lost to ULL 81-74 but trailed just 69-67 with 2:04 remaining…Forward DeMonte Simpson may miss the game with a toe injury
Probable Starting Lineups
ULL / Head coach Robert Lee
- G Travis Bureau 6-7 Jr. (5.7 ppg)
- G Raymone Andrews 6-2 Fr. (3.4 ppg)
- F Tyren Johnson 6-8 Sr. (17.3 ppg)
- F Chris Gradingo 6-7 Jr. (14.5 ppg)
- C Colby Batiste 6-9 Jr. (3.2 ppg)
FAU / Head coach Mike Jarvis
- G Ray Taylor 5-7 Fr. (14.5 ppg)
- G Alex Tucker 5-11 So. (6.2 ppg)
- G Greg Gantt 6-2, Fr. (15.5 ppg)
- G Sanchez Hughley 6-4 Jr. (9.9 ppg)
- F Brett Royster 6-8 Jr. (6.7 ppg)