EL PASO, Texas – The Florida Atlantic Owls (12-15, 5-13 C-USA) couldn’t rally from a slow opening quarter as they fell 63-55 against the UTEP Miners (19-8, 12-6 C-USA) on Saturday in El Paso.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UTEP got on the scoreboard first, but the Owls responded on a jumper from Amber Gaston to cut the deficit down to one after the first minute of play. The Miners scored back-to-back field goals to extend the UTEP lead to six, 8-2, but Aniya Hubbard scored on a jumper at the 7:36-minute mark to bring the Owls back within four, 8-4. However, UTEP went on a 12-1 run over the following four minutes of clock to take a 20-5 lead with 3:12 to play. The Owls got two back on a pair of free throws from Joiya Maddox with 3:06 to play in the first. Neither team could score over the final three minutes of the first as the Miners took a 13-point advantage into the second quarter, 20-7.
Hubbard stepped up for the Owls in the second period, posting an impressive 14-point second quarter. She opened the second on a jumper in the paint to cut the UTEP deficit to 11 at 20-9, however the Owls struggled defend the Miners as UTEP continued to answer back to the Owls baskets as UTEP extended its lead to 16 with just 3:16 left to play in the half. But the Owls closed the half on a 6-0 run from a pair of Hubbard jumpers and a jumper from Joiya Maddox with four seconds on the clock to cut the deficit down to just 10 entering the locker room, 36-26.
Just like the second period, Hubbard scored first for the Owls in the third, connecting on a fastbreak jumper to bring the Owls back within single digits at 36-28. FAU continued to battle back into the contest, mounting a 6-3 run to bring the game within five, 39-34, at the 7:02-minute mark of the third. However, the Owls offense fell cold as the Miners went on a 13-0 run over the following four minutes of clock to extend the Miners’ lead back out to 18 at 52-34 with 2:50 remaining in the third. FAU got six back after an 8-2 run to close out the third to bring the deficit down to 12, 54-42, with 10 minutes left to play.
The Owls scored first again in the fourth on a pair of Maddox free throws and a fastbreak layup from Janeta Rozentale after a steal to once again bring the score back within eight, 54-46. The Owls sole 3-pointer of the contest came from Rozentale at the 7:06-minute mark of the fourth to bring the game within two possessions at 57-51, however the Owls just couldn’t get any closer as UTEP outscored FAU 6-4 over the final seven minutes of play to take the 63-55 win.
QUOTES FROM COACH SULLY
“If we went and tallied all of our quarters, we would be close to undefeated in conference play if you could eliminate one quarter. The quarter for us today was the first quarter. We just got in a hole early, but then won the other three. So that’s what we are trying to overcome, and that’s on me heading into this last weekend. How we can play a team straight up for four quarters and see what the outcome is from there.
NOTES AND TEAM STATS
- Three Owls registered a double-digit performance, with Aniya Hubbard lead the way for FAU with her seventh 20-plus point game of the season.
- Hubbard finished with 22 points, shooting 64 percent (9-of-14) from the field and 80 percent (4-of-5) from the free throw line, while also recording six rebounds, a team-high three assists, two blocks and a steal.
- Hubbard scored 14 points of her 22 points in the second quarter.
- Janeta Rozentale and Joiya Maddox also registered double figures in the game, scoring 12 and 11 points each, respectively.
- Alexa Zaph pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, tying her career-high.
- Amber Gaston tallied a season-best three blocks.
- FAU outshot UTEP 40.8 percent to 36.9 percent from the field and 82.4 percent to 61.1 percent from the free throw line.
- The Owls also outrebounded the Miners, 41-36, in addition to outscoring UTEP in points off the bench, 13-7.
UP NEXT
The Owls return home to Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena next weekend as they host the LA Tech Lady Techsters on Thursday, March 2 and the Rice Owls on Saturday, March 4 for senior weekend.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
For updates, follow @FAUWBB on Twitter and Instagram, or like FAU Women’s Basketball on Facebook.
