BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Greg Gantt had 18 points and four Florida Atlantic players scored in double figures as the Owls defeated Western Kentucky 78-73 Saturday night.
The Owls (14-6, 6-0 Sun Belt Conference), who won their sixth straight, got off to a fast start. They led by as many as 15 points after going on a 13-0 run in the first half. They shot 17 of 30 in the first 20 minutes to claim a 40-31 halftime lead.
The Hilltoppers (5-11, 0-4) rallied in the second half to tie the score at 49-49, but the Owls responded with a 13-3 run to put the game out of reach. Florida Atlantic never trailed.
Raymond Taylor had 17 points for Florida Atlantic, including three 3-point field goals in the first half. Kore White had 15 points and Jordan McCoy added 10 to lead the Florida Atlantic bench, which outscored Western Kentucky's reserves 16-2.
Alex Tucker had a season high with 12 of Florida Atlantic's 17 assists.
The Owls spoiled a career night from Steffphon Pettigrew, who led the Hilltoppers with 31 points. Sergio Kerusch added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Florida Atlantic is off to its best start in the conference in school history, and the winning streak is its longest since joining Division I in the 1994-95 season. Western Kentucky is 0-4 in the Sun Belt for the first time and has lost six straight for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
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