Tilford Scores 27 To Lead Jags Over FAU
Scoring a game high 27 points, Domonic Tilford lead USA to a wire-to-wire, 74-69 win over Florida Atlantic in southern Florida. While Brandon Davis scored 11 to be the only other player to score in double digits.
USA led the entire first half shooting 54% and going 4-7 from 3-point range on Tilfords 12 first half points. The Jags led 32-22 after Brandon Davis answered a FAU 3-pointer with a dunk with less than five minutes to go in the half, but went scoreless from that point through halftime. Going into the lockerroom at the half they had a slim 32-30 lead.
The Jags hit an early three in the second half to extend their lead to 5 but over the first seven minutes of the second half, FAU would close within 1 point three times. After a quick 7-2 run in just over a minute, the Jags jumped out to a six point lead, 50-44.
Another short run over two minutes saw FAU climb back within 2 points midway through the second half at 52-50. Methodically the Jags would pull out to a nine point lead, 67-58 with 4:40 remaining on the clock. Up by eight with less than four minutes to go FAU would score 6 straight points to close the advantage to two points 69-67 with just over a minute and a half left.
Sherrer sunk two shots from the free throw line, then FAU’s Monroe sunk two foul shots and C. J. Garner hit one of two foul shots to put the Jags up 72-69. To preserve the win, Garner blocks Carderro Nwoji’s attempt at a 3-pointer with four seconds left which lead to him making a layup to end the game.
FAU out rebounded USA 31-22 and hit 19-22 from the free throw stripe. USA out-shot FAU 57%-46% from the field and also outshot them 46%-15% from 3-point range. They were even scoring in the paint, USA held a slight advantage in points off turnovers 12-11. FAU outscored USA in 2nd chance shots 15-7 while USA had 8 fast break points to FAU’s 0. But bench scoring made the biggest difference in the game with USA scoring 22 and FAU could only muster 5 from one player, however that number is a bit misleading since FAU’s roster only lists seven players for the game.
USA will host Middle Tennessee State at the Mitchell Center on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 7:05PM. These two teams were chosen to finish 1-2 in the SBC Eastern Division this season. Additionally, these two teams are the top two point producers thus far in the Sun Belt Conference. Domonic Tilford leads the league with 19.3 points per game and 3.25 3-pointers per game. While Desmond Yates is second in the league with 19 points per game but leads the conference with 62% FG percentage.
Come out and support the Jags in their first home conference game since Western Kentucky on December 18th. GO JAGS! BLEED IT RED!