NORFOLK, Va. – (Feb. 26, 2020) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (12-15, 6-10 C-USA) put up a fight at league-leading Old Dominion (24-4, 14-2 C-USA), but fell short, 60-49. The Owls pulled down 48 rebounds in comparison to 42 by ODU, the Conference USA leader in boards. FAU also held ODU to 36.1 percent shooting from the floor in the loss.
How It Was Decided:
The Monarchs jumped out to a 10-5 lead three minutes into the game, but an Astou Gaye 3-pointer inched the Owls to within two points. The Monarchs then went on an 11-0 scoring run to hold the Owls scoreless for 5:03 until Juliette Gauthier made a layup with 40 seconds left in the frame. Gauthier then put up a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the quarter, as the Owls trailed 21-15.
The Monarchs opened up the quarter on a 9-0 run, holding the Owls scoreless for 3:56 until Amber Gaston delivered a fadeaway jumper. In the final five minutes of the quarter, the Owls held onto a slight advantage, outscoring the Monarchs 9-8 to recover from a rough opening. Abby Voss hit a jumper just before the end of the first half and the Owls went into the locker room down, 39-26.
Just under three minutes went off the clock until either team scored a basket in the second half. The Owls put up the first two points in the second half with two free throws courtesy of Crystal Primm. The Monarchs jumped out to a 17-point lead with 1:38 left in the frame, but an Allie Tylka 3-pointer put the Owls back on the board. The score held in ODU’s favor after three quarters, 51-37.
Tanyia Gordon and Gaye capitalized on back-to-back FAU possessions, as the Owls opened up the fourth quarter on a 4-0 run. The Owls fell into a scoring drought for over three minutes until Gauthier delivered a layup. FAU won the fourth quarter, outscoring ODU 12-9, but ultimately fell in the contest, 60-49.
Game Notes:
- Gauthier led the Owls to capture her seventh double-double of the season. The sophomore put up an impressive stat line of 13 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and five assists, along with a block and steal. She also played her second consecutive 40-minute game
- Primm followed with nine pints, five rebounds and three assists
- Nikola Ozola and Gaye each put up five points, while Gaye also pulled down five rebounds
- Allie Tylka played a career-high 28 minutes off the bench, delivering six points, three boards, as well as a block and steal
- The Owls outrebounded the Monarchs, 48-42, while holding the team to 36.1 percent shooting
Up Next:
The Owls will take on their last road test at Southern Miss next Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern. FAU will wrap up the regular season against Marshall on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. at Abessinio Court at FAU Arena. For tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visit fausports.com.
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 4-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 52-28 victory over SMU in the 2019 Cheribundi 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.
