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Doherty's Home Debut

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One of the biggest events in FAU Athletics history tonight at the Gym. Apparently the marketing plans for this game were wiped away because of the hurricane, but the facility is ready for the game and I'm hoping for a big crowd. Who else is going? Go Owls!

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2005/11/30/a3c_fauhoop_1130.html

Doherty era opens tonight
By Marcus Nelson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

COCONUT CREEK ? There were big plans for coach Matt Doherty's first home basketball game at Florida Atlantic.

The Owls had a marketing strategy in place to help pack FAU Arena to its capacity of 5,000 for tonight's game against North Florida. But Hurricane Wilma blew away that dream, ripping a hole in the roof and sending Doherty's team in search of gyms for practice.

The Owls return to the arena tonight for the first time in more than a month after a construction crew buzzer-beater allowed the facility to reopen Tuesday.

"We feel like nomads, but we're glad to be back home playing in our arena," Doherty said.

The former North Carolina coach knew things would be different at this level, but he didn't plan on wandering the state to prepare for the season. After Wilma forced classes to be canceled, Doherty took his Owls to Orlando for practice. When classes resumed, he used gyms at Lynn University, Palm Beach Community College and Broward Community College, where the Owls practiced Tuesday as workers scrambled to finish up at FAU Arena.

"It has to have an effect on us," Doherty said. "We're traveling 20 to 30 minutes to a practice and that's spending 40 to 60 minutes a day just traveling. That's time we could be doing something else to be prepared."

The players are happy to get their gym back.

"You can't do the extra things like stay after practice, because it's somebody else's baskets," guard Quinton Young said.

The Owls opened the season with road losses to Colgate (78-74) and Northwestern (69-50).

FAU officials wanted Doherty's home opener to be a festive event. Marketing plans included a local business that had agreed to purchase tickets. But with no guarantee that the arena would be ready, the plans were scuttled.

Instead, marketing officials spent Tuesday calling each season-ticket holder ? there are about 300 ? to tell them the arena is open.

It would have taken longer to complete that task at North Carolina, but that's fine with Doherty, who knows he has a tough battle to make tony Boca Raton a hoops hotbed.

"I don't expect this to be North Carolina… but I haven't encountered much resistance," Doherty said. "What I have encountered in this area is people from the Northeast who may want to see Division I basketball. I think we can give them reason to come to our campus."

Athletic Director Craig Angelos said many of the activities set for tonight will be rescheduled.

"We have lost a lot of momentum but we will get it back," Angelos said. "We just need to regroup and are thrilled we can play our games at the gym."

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Doherty's Home Debut

I will be there to root for our Owls'. Let's bring home our first Victory for Doherty.

Go Owls!!
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Doherty's Home Debut

Going to be very interesting to see the size of the crowd tonight. It will definitely be the biggest of the year, but the numbers will really be a telling stat on how much impact Doherty's name has brought. I'm saying 1,500 would be nice, but that's being optimistic.
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Doherty's Home Debut

If this doesn't bring the numbers out to an FAU game I don't know what will. Adding Doherty has to increase attendence two or three fold i would think. Once we start winning some games the buzz will hopefully be all around the town. Wish i was there in boca to see the game. I'm still recovering from the 350 mile round trip from jax i made down to FAU/FIU last week. What a waste of time.
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Doherty's Home Debut

Doherty's Home Debut

I just want to say that I am very dissapointed in the FAU website. I was following game tracker and it stopped refreshing the page with 10 minutes still in the half. I wondered what was going on so I went to another website cbssportsline.com and I tried to get a score. They were more up to date than the gametracker was. Obviously I can't make it to the game but still took the time to try and follow how they were doing via the internet. I think it is just a very poor effort by the athletic department to not have an up to date gametracker.
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Doherty's Home Debut

Cohen just said there is "a ton of fans" at the game. That really helps us get an idea of how many folks are at the FAU Arena. We really need to change that name btw...I think The Craig Buchanan Center sounds good to me.
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Doherty's Home Debut

Owls win!
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Doherty's Home Debut


GhostOfBuchanan said

Cohen just said there is "a ton of fans" at the game. That really helps us get an idea of how many folks are at the FAU Arena. We really need to change that name btw…I think The Craig Buchanan Center sounds good to me.

It was a good turnout. I haven't seen the announced attendance, but i'd bet it was over 1,000. Definately the biggest crowd in a couple of years, maybe since that UM game. The atmosphere in the gym was much improved. Much more like an actual college game. The lobby area got a much needed facelift and the floor is much better than in the past. The future is looking bright for the program…finally.

As for the game, we struggled at times, but overall a good effort. Once the players get comfortable in the system, I think we'll be right in the A-Sun hunt. It was so nice to watch a team playing with a clue about playing as a team. ;D
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Doherty's Home Debut

they said the attendance is 1177. not bad. We string some wins together and think will be all right.
Our team needs to grow together because if were beating north florida by 2, we have a ways to go. (they were d2 last year)

Were only going to get better with time though. One game at a time.
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Doherty's Home Debut


fauballa31 said

I just want to say that I am very dissapointed in the FAU website. I was following game tracker and it stopped refreshing the page with 10 minutes still in the half. I wondered what was going on so I went to another website cbssportsline.com and I tried to get a score. They were more up to date than the gametracker was. Obviously I can't make it to the game but still took the time to try and follow how they were doing via the internet. I think it is just a very poor effort by the athletic department to not have an up to date gametracker.

One of the first times I used game tracker I had that problem of the screen not refreshing. I email CSTV and complained. I got a response. The person who replied said the stats are sent from the sight of the game via the internet and the connection at the games is a dial up. The feed is always going off line and getting disconnected.

I wasn't home tonight so I don't know but does that local radio station the covers the football games also cover the home games for basketball? The link to it is on the home page of this board. Look at the bottom for "SBC Message Board". It will have several links when you open it, one of which is the radio station.


FAU - THE REAL SLEEPING GIANT
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