MIAMI– (Feb. 8, 2020) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (10-12, 4-7 C-USA) picked up an important win on the road over FIU (5-17, 2-9 C-USA) Saturday afternoon in overtime. With the 64-61 feat, Jim Jabir accomplished his 500th career victory, becoming the 36th active Division I women’s basketball collegiate coach to accomplish the feat.
How It Was Decided:
The Owls got the game started on the right foot, as they forced five turnovers in three minutes. FAU then would go on a 10-0 scoring run due in large by eight points scored by Glenisha Harkless to tally a season high. The Owls then went cold, falling in a scoring drought for 3:30, but Lotta Vehka-Aho broke it with a layup as time expired. FAU ended the first quarter up 14-8, as FIU finished the quarter on a three-minute scoring drought.
The Panthers began the quarter shooting 3-3 from the field to creep up on the Owls and take a 17-15 lead off a 3-pointer. FAU then stepped up on the defensive end, holding FIU without a field goal for the last five minutes of the half. Crystal Primm drove in the paint for a layup in the remaining 1:31 of the quarter to help the Owls head into the locker room with a 28-25 advantage.
Primm began the third quarter scoring all six of the Owls’ points to open up the frame. The Owls then found a tough time connecting to the basket, not scoring a field goal in 4:38. Astou Gaye broke the Owls’ scoring slump with a 3-pointer with one minute left in the frame. The Owls trailed 42-41 after three.
In the fourth quarter, the Owls pulled ahead by four with 7:25 left in the game after Vehka-Aho knocked down both foul shots. The Panthers would then find a rhythm to pull ahead by two, but two free throws by Gaye tied the game once again. A Nikola Ozola 3-pointer and a Juliette Gauthier jumper pulled the Owls ahead, 56-51 with 2:09 left. The Owls had a two-point lead with 1:28 left, but FIU tallied two foul shots to tie the game at 56 and send it into overtime.
In overtime, FIU opened up with a 3-pointer, but Gauthier responded with a jumper. Primm knocked down two foul shots and then picked up a steal to capitalize on the other end of the court with a layup, as the Owls pulled up by one point. After the Panthers were unable to connect with a go-ahead bucket with under one minute remaining, Harkless was fouled and made one of two foul shots. With the Owls up by three points, the Panthers had a shot to tie the game, but could not find the money shot, as FAU picked up the 64-61 overtime win.
Game Notes:
- Jabir tallied his 500th career feat to join a prominent club of coaches
- FAU picked up their 300th victory as a Division I program
- Primm captured her eighth career double-double by tallying 21 points and a career-high 14 rebounds
- Harkless tallied 12 points along with matching a career-high three 3-pointers
- Astou Gaye put up 10 points and four rebounds along with a career-high four blocks
- Vehka-Aho logged 10 points on the day
- The Owls had four players in double digits for the sixth time this season, second consecutive game
With Coach Jabir:
On the win:
“We have to shoot the ball better, but I was really happy with the kids’ persistence and toughness,” said Jabir. “We found a way to win when we weren’t making buckets and I was really proud of that.”
On achieving 500:
“As far as [500 wins] goes, all of that is an indicator of the quality of people I have been surrounded with. It’s not about me, but rather the people I have coached with or for. It’s all about them. You are only as good as the people around you.”
Up Next:
The Owls will be back at Abesssinio Court at FAU Arena on Thursday to face Southern Miss. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. 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).
– 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 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, visitwww.fau.edu.
