Florida Atlantic defeats Western Kentucky 78-73
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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.
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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.
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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.