FRISCO, Texas – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (11-11, 8-8 in Conference USA) fell to UTEP (17-7, 13-5 C-USA) Thursday afternoon, 74-67 in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Air Force Reserve C-USA Women’s Basketball Championships. In a game where five Owls were in foul trouble or had fouled out of the contest, the Owls cut the UTEP lead down to five points with a minute remaining, but could not overtake the lead.
HOW IT WAS DECIDED
1Q
The Owls started out the game with the first basket courtesy of Iggy Allen, but then UTEP went on an 8-0 run. FAU was in a scoring drought for five minutes, but Rita Pleskevich capitalized on a putback basket to end the drought. FAU trailed 8-4 with 4:35 remaining in the quarter. Sofia Galeron then caught fire from beyond the arc, making back-to-back 3-pointers to elevate the Owls ahead, 10-8, with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter. The Owls ended the quarter on a 13-1 run, leading 16-12.
2Q
UTEP came within three points of the Owls following a jumper. At the media timeout taken at 8:53, FAU was ahead 17-14. UTEP then got on their own run, 11-0, as the Miners took a 25-21 lead with under four minutes remaining in the quarter. Pleskevich knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two, and then Allen tied the game up twice off back-to-back baskets with the second one tying the game at 29 with a minute left. UTEP scored five unanswered points to end the half, as FAU trailed 34-29 at the half.
3Q
Astou Gaye helped the Owls get within three points off a trey, but miscues by the Owls helped the Miners go on a 5-0 run. FAU trailed by 12 points with 3:06 left in the quarter, but FAU picked it up in the latter minutes of the frame to go on a 7-4 run, which included an Alexa Zaph layup with 21 seconds left in the quarter. The Owls trailed 60-51 going into the fourth.
4Q
FAU took some time to get their offense rolling in the fourth quarter, but Janeta Rozentale picked it up with layups on back-to-back possessions. The Owls then rolled on a 7-0 run capped off by Zaph jumper to get the Owls within five points, 65-60. UTEP then nailed a 3-pointer and a free throw to break the silence from their end of the floor, but FAU continued to fight. Bre Beck helped the Owls come within five points off a layup with 1:15 remaining in the game. That was the closest the Owls could get even though UTEP did not have a single field goal in the final five minutes of play. UTEP’s made free throws inside the one-minute mark, which pulled the Miners ahead for good. The Owls dropped the quarterfinal contest, 74-67.
GAME NOTES
- Rozentale led the Owls with 15 points, three boards, two steals and two blocks
- Allen played 24 minutes and tallied 12 points off 6-for-13 shooting from the field. She also pulled down four rebounds and had three assists
- Galeron went 3-for-7 from beyond the arc after producing nine points and four rebounds
- Beck registered nine points, a career-high five assists and two steals off the bench at point guard
- Gaye led the Owls on the boards with eight, while tallying five points and two blocks
- The Owls shot 48 percent from the field
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