BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Nov. 29, 2019) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (5-2) took down Loyola Maryland (1-5) in the first round of the annual FAU Thanksgiving Tournament, 72-61. With five Owls in double digits and a fourth quarter surge, the Owls extended their winning streak to four games and will face Kansas in the championship game tomorrow at 1 p.m.
How It Was Decided:
The Owls took advantage of Loyola’s slow start, as the Greyhounds took nine minutes to score a field goal. Lotta Vehka-Aho got the Owls’ offense started with the team’s first five points and Tanyia Gordon came up with a basket from downtown to cap off a 12-0 scoring run. The Owls ended the frame with a 15-7 lead.
FAU got off to a slow start in the second quarter, but Crystal Primm scored from all different angles to put up nine of the Owls’ 15 points. With the Owls up by one, Juliette Gauthier hit a basket from downtown to send her team into the locker room with the lead, 30-26.
The third quarter has been the achilleas heel for the Owls all season long, but FAU outscored the Greyhounds 19-17 in the frame. Amber Gaston played a big role in the Owls ability to remain on top despite the Greyhounds’ effort to claw back in the game. Gaston recorded nine of her 11 points in the third and FAU finished the quarter on top, 49-43.
With 7:29 left in the contest, Nikola Ozola drew a foul from the 3-point line and hit all three free throws. On the next possession, Ozola hit a shot from beyond the arc to put up six points in less than 30 seconds and elevate the Owls to a 10-point lead. After Loyola came within single digits of stealing the lead, Lotta Vehka-Aho hit her third 3-pointer of the game followed by a layup on the next possession. Juliette Gauthier then went to the line to knock down two free throws to reach a double-double and despite two late layups put in by Loyola, the Owls still came out with a double digit win, 72-61.
Game Notes:
- Five different Owls hit double digits. This marks the second time this season the Owls have had four or more players hit double digits
- Vehka-Aho led the Owls with 15 points, while matching a career-high three 3-pointers, eight rebounds, two assists and four steals
- Primm’s dominant second quarter helped her reach 13 points with four boards and three assists and steals, apiece
- Ozola picked off where she left off from last Sunday’s game, reaching a new career-high 11 points with three boards and six assists
- Gaston reached double digits for the second straight game, putting up 11 points and three boards
- Gauthier tallied her third double-double of her career after tallying 10 points and putting up a career-high 14 boards, all on defense. The sophomore also recorded three assists
- The Owls matched last season’s win total with five
With Coach Jabir:
“I was really proud of the way we came back in the fourth quarter,” said head coach Jim Jabir. “We had to control our turnovers, but I feel like we are getting better. We just have to keep improving.”
Up Next:
The Owls will take on the championship game tomorrow against Kansas at 1 p.m. FAU is going after its second FAU Thanksgiving Tournament title. 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.
