BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Nov. 30, 2019) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (5-3) lost to Kansas (7-0) in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament Championship game. The Owls were within five points of the Jayhawks at the half, but dropped Saturday afternoon’s tilt, 90-60.
How It Was Decided:
FAU got things started with a 3-ponter by Juliette Gauthier and a layup put in by Crystal Primm. The Owls were within one point of the Jayhawks with the score at 9-8, but Kansas would then go on a 10-0 scoring run. Gauthier broke the drought by putting down two free throws, but the Owls still trailed the Jayhawks 24-10 after one quarter of play.
The Owls trailed by as many as 20 points in the beginning of the second quarter, but a three-point play by Gauthier got an 11-0 run going for FAU. Abby Voss grabbed a big offensive rebound to put in a layup, and then a three-point play by Primm capped off a 19-4 run for FAU. Right before the half, Nikola Ozola hit a 3-pointer to put the Owls within distance at the half, 42-37.
Tanyia Gordon put the Owls on the board after 3:20 of play in the third. Gordon had her shot blocked, but got her own rebound to set up for a three-point basket, which she nailed. The Owls were outscored by the Jayhawks, 23-10 in the third, as FAU trailed 65-47.
The Owls were looking for a big comeback, but the Jayhawks went on a 16-4 run in the first half of the fourth quarter. FAU fought until the buzzer, as Gauthier came up with a three-point play and Allie Tylka earned a trip to the line twice with less than a minute of the game. Ultimately, the Owls fell to the undefeated Jayhawks, 90-60.
Game Notes:
- Gauthier led the Owls with 18 points with three 3-pointers and five boards. She played almost the entire contest with 38 minutes
- Vehka-Aho followed with 13 points
- Primm was the third Owl in double digits with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals
- Abby Voss came up at big moments, tallying seven points and three rebounds
- Nikola Ozola had a game-leading four assists
All-Tournament Team:
Angel Baker – Wright State
Stephanie Karcz – Loyola Maryland
Lotta Vehka-Aho – Florida Atlantic
Juliette Gauthier – Florida Atlantic
Tina Stephens – Kansas
Brooklyn Mitchell (MVP) – Kansas
With Coach Jabir:
“We didn’t have an answer to their adjustments,” said head coach Jim Jabir. “We have a lot of work to do, but [the game] was good for us to see where we need to go next and keep working.”
Up Next:
FAU will take about two weeks off before their next matchup against Central Connecticut State on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. 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).
– FAUSports.com –
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.
