BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Feb. 22, 2020) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (12-14, 6-9 C-USA) were unable to get over the hump in Saturday’s tilt against Western Kentucky (20-6, 12-3 C-USA). FAU fell 69-56 in the Owls’ first of four bonus play games.
How It Was Decided:
Juliette Gauthier pulled the Owls ahead early with a 3-pointer, 5-4, but WKU began to heat up on the floor to pick up a 6-0 run. The Hilltoppers then fell in a scoring drought for 2:15, as FAU was able to creep up within a point with three minutes left, but the Owls tallied three turnovers in 40 seconds to trail 19-9 after one quarter of play.
The Owls trailed by 14 with 4:35 left in the half despite WKU missing four consecutive free throws. FAU would not begin to heat up, ending the quarter on a 7-0 run with Gauthier capturing six of those seven points. The Owls outscored the Hilltoppers 13-10 in the second quarter, going into the locker room down, 29-22.
FAU continued their scoring drive coming out of the half to score four more unanswered points thanks to back-to-back baskets put in by Crystal Primm. The Owls came within three points of the Hilltoppers to start the quarter, but WKU went 5-6 from the field to pull ahead by 12 with 6:27 left. FAU would not go away, as Amber Gaston sunk a 3-pointer, as the Owls trailed, 42-37. Despite the Owls coming within five points at the timeout, WKU scored six unanswered points to close out the frame and hold a 53-42 advantage.
With FAU surging to come back, the Owls came within nine points of the Hilltoppers after a Nikola Ozola jumper. The Hilltoppers got going on a 9-0 run, as the Owls were unable to get over the hump, dropping the contest, 69-56.
Game Notes:
- Gauthier led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds to capture her sixth double-double of the season. The sophomore also had two assists and a steal
- Primm followed with 17 points and eight rebounds to fall just short of a double-double. The guard added three assists, as well as a block and steal
- Ozola tallied five points, while Tanyia Gordon pulled down a career-high seven boards to add to her two steals
- The Owls were nearly perfect at the charity strike, making 92 percent of free throws (12-13)
Up Next:
The Owls will head to Old Dominion on Wednesday as part of FAU’s second of four games in bonus play. Tipoff is set for 6:30 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).
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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, visitwww.fau.edu.
