Graham's big night not enough to topple Kentucky
Paul Graham scored 31, but Kentucky's second-half surge proved too much.
Originally published on
12/30/2008
by
Chuck King
Arguably the best game of senior Paul Graham’s career wasn’t enough to lead Florida Atlantic past perennial power Kentucky. The Wildcats defeated the Owls 79-69 in front of more than 24,000 fans at Rupp Arena.
Graham’s 31 points led all scorers. His jumper with 15 minutes remaining put the Owls up by five. Kentucky, though, immediately erased the lead with a 10-0 spurt and never trailed again.
Graham scored 20 of his points in the first half, where the lead changed hands 16 times. The Owls entered the break tied at 37.
"It's not a surprise," Shavar Richardson said. "Paul is a great player. He came into the game and started off pretty well and we followed. He lifted us offensively and kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win."
Though there were moments when Kentucky appeared ready to assert dominance, the Wildcats never really pulled away from the Owls. Kentucky led by nine with just under six minutes remaining, but Carlos Monroe’s free throws cut the Wildcat lead to 68-66 at the 2:34 mark. The Owls couldn’t draw any closer.
After playing eight of their last nine games on the road, FAU returns home on New Year’s Day to host South Alabama at 2 p.m. The Jaguars represented the Sun Belt in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
GAME REWIND
Slam dunk: Graham toasted the Wildcats with his drives and from the outside. …Richardson connected on 4-of-5 three pointers. … Though undersized against SEC competition, Carlos Monroe still grabbed nine rebounds.
Off the rim: In a game where the Owls needed his bulk, Sammy Hernandez played just six scoreless minutes, grabbing one rebound. …The Owls bench as a whole contributed just three points.
From the box score: FAU only went to the line 10 times, but the Owls did convert on seven attempts.
Up next: FAU finally returns home to face Sun Belt foe South Alabama on New Year’s Day at 2 p.m.
Final shot: The Owls once again fell victim to a second-half run, though it was a little more expected considering the competition. FAU needs to continue to play with this intensity to get back into the Sun Belt race.