BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Nov. 21, 2019) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (3-2) earned their second consecutive win on their home court, defeating Little Rock (1-4), 79-72. The Owls came into the game with an 0-10 all-time record against the Trojans, but picked up their first win over their former Sun Belt foe Thursday night.
How It Was Decided:
The game was back-to-back in the first quarter with every time the Owls scored, the Trojans found an answer. In the quarter, Lotta Vehka-Aho hit two 3-pointers, including one with 16 seconds left in the frame, and the Owls held onto a five point lead, 18-13.
FAU got things rolling in the second quarter, forcing four turnovers in under two minutes. The Owls capitalized on each Little Rock mishap, as Crystal Primm came up with back-to-back 3-point plays. With two minutes left in the half, the Trojans cut the lead to four, but after another “and 1” for Primm and two foul shots knocked down by Juliette Gauthier, the Owls went to the locker room with a 10-point lead, as the score was 40-30.
Gauthier opened up the second half with a 3-pointer and after another 3-point play delivered by Primm, the Owls were up by 16 points, their largest lead of the night. FAU got to the line a few times, but fell in a field goal drought for nine minutes in the quarter. Vehka-Aho would help the Owls get out of the hole, as she picked up a layup in the paint with 29 seconds left in the quarter to elevate the Owls’ lead, 53-47.
Looking to finish strong, Primm cashed in on back-to-back possessions for four points, and an Amber Gaston layup put the Owls’ lead back up to nine just two minutes into the quarter. With Vehka-Aho able to draw a 3-point play and two free-throws on the next possession, the Owls were up by double digits once again, 64-52. However, the lead started to dwindle, as Little Rock pulled within three points with 1:52 left on the clock. The Owls’ tenacious defense was present all night, but especially in the last few minutes of the game to hinder Little Rock’s ability to come up with a game-tying basket. After free throws made by Primm and Gauthier, the Owls picked up their first ever win against the Trojans, 79-72.
Game Notes:
- The Owls picked up back-to-back home wins for the first time since the 2017-18 season when the squad went on a four game home winning streak
- Primm delivered a game-high 31 points to become the first Owl in almost two years to score 30+ points in a game, as Sasha Cedeño was the last to do so on January 20, 2018 against Louisiana Tech. The graduate transfer also racked up seven rebounds and four steals and had her first career game with two 3-pointers
- Vehka-Aho also had herself a night. The freshman tallied 21 points, along with four rebounds, three steals and a career-high three 3-pointers. Vehka-Aho played in all but two minutes of the contest
- Gauthier was the third Owl in double digits, scoring 11 points, while pulling down seven rebounds
- The Owls knocked down eight 3-pointers on the night
Up Next:
FAU will head on the road for the final time in 2019, this time to face Western Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Owls will return home, as they play host for the annual FAU Thanksgiving Tournament held Friday, Nov. 29 to Saturday, Nov. 30. For tickets, call 1-800-FAU-OWLS or visit the main FAU Women’s Basketball ticket page.
Owls on Social Media:
For complete coverage of FAU women’s basketball, follow us on Twitter (@FAU_WBB), Instagram (@FAU_WBB) and Facebook (Florida Atlantic Women’s Basketball).
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Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
