1/18/2025 | Women’s Basketball | Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Atlantic women’s basketball fell on the road to in-state rival South Florida, 85-59, on Saturday in Tampa.
The Owls fall to 9-10 on the season and 1-5 in AAC play, while South Florida moves to 12-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
South Florida struck first, but the Owls evened the contest at 2-2 off a jumper from Stefanie Ingram and 7-7 off Mya Perry’s first triple of the day, however, the Bulls scored five unanswered to hold a 12-7 lead at the opening media break. Zahira Arizmendi knocked down her first three of the day to bring the Owls back within two at 12-10, but the Bulls went on a 9-3 run to close out the first, 21-13.
The Owls and Bulls battled back and forth to open the second. Following a 32-25 lead at the 5:27-minute mark, Emaya Lewis scored back-to-back buckets to bring Florida Atlantic back within a possession at 32-29. However, the Bulls scored six unanswered to close out the half, pushing their lead back out to nine at the break, 38-29.
South Florida scored first in the third to push their lead to 12, 41-29, but the Owls answered back on a 10-6 run, capped off by a Jada Moore 3-pointer, to close the deficit back to eight, 47-39, at the 6:44-minute mark. However, the Bulls went on another 7-0 run to extend their lead to 15 at the third quarter media, 54-39. The Owls got four back following the media timeout, 54-43, but the Bulls retook the momentum as they outscored the Owls 10-5 to close out the third, holding a 64-48 advantage entering the final period of play.
The Owls just couldn’t find an answer to the Bulls over the final 10 minutes of play, eventually falling 85-59.
HEAD COACH JENNIFER SULLIVAN POSTGAME THOUGHTS
“Really physical game. We took a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. One of the biggest things we talked about coming into this game was the rebounding battle, and that was something we struggled to maintain on the boards. Gotta get back home, gotta get healthy, reset, and prepare for our next two-game homestand.”
NOTES AND TEAM STATS
- Mya Perry and Ta’Ziah Jenks led the way for the Owls with 14 points and 12 points, respectively.
- Perry shot 56 percent (5-of-9) from the field, 67 percent (2-of-3) from beyond the arc, and went 2-of-3 at the line, while also adding four boards, a team-high two steals, and a pair of assists.
- Jenks went 44 percent (4-of-9) from the field, 60 percent (3-of-5) from 3-point range, and knocked down a free throw. She also added five rebounds, a block, and a steal.
- Jada Moore pulled down a team-high six rebounds, in addition to tying Stefanie Ingram for a team-leading five assists.
- The Owls held the advantage from beyond the arc, outshooting the Bulls 52.6 percent (10-of-19) to 50 percent (9-of-18).
UP NEXT
The Owls return to Boca Raton this week as they prep to host a pair of home contests against the Charlotte 49ers and the North Texas Mean Green.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
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