FAU coach Mike Jarvis (left) and FIU coach Isiah Thomas share a moment before the Owls defeated the Panthers in the Burrow.
Routing Thomas
Our No. 8 story of the year is FIU coach Isiah Thomas’ first visit to The Burrow and the Owls’ 106-88 victory in front of a sell-out crowd at FAU Arena.
Originally published on
6/29/2010
by
Marcus Nelson
A sell-out crowd of 2,916 greeted Florida International coach Isiah Thomas when he brought his team to The Burrow on Jan. 30 and the visit by the Hall-of-Famer is our No. 8 Story of the Year.
FAU coach Mike Jarvis made an appeal to fans to treat Thomas with respect, and they obliged, but the Owls didn’t hold anything back in a 106-88 FAU victory thanks to 35 points by freshman guard Greg Gantt.
The Owls led by as many as 24 points vs. their rival, but FIU cut the lead to 11 points late in the second half before FAU took control and was able to run the clock out before students rushed the court.
What we wrote
Why it’s important
FAU wanted to pack the house on “Bury The Burrow in Red” night, but this game didn’t need a marketing push – it was a natural for the “must-see” game of the year.
It was Thomas vs. Jarvis and the fans responded. But so did the team. Guard Alex Tucker’s school-record 16 assists helped FAU to its fifth consecutive victory – the longest winning streak of the season.