CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball (1-1) fell 75-42 in a tough road battle against the Miami Hurricanes (4-0) on Wednesday evening inside the Watsco Center.
“Rebounding and turnovers were the two areas we knew we had to stay competitive with in order to be successful and we failed in those categories tonight,” expressed head coach Jennifer Sullivan. “Boxing out and taking care of the ball are within our control, and tonight showed us what can happen if we do not do those things well. Certainly not the outcome we wanted, but I know we will learn from this and use this an opportunity to get better.”
Janeta Rozentale led the Owls against Miami, scoring a team-high 11 points, shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. Alexa Zaph finished with a team second-best eight points, while collecting six rebounds, and Aniya Hubbard recorded a team-best eight rebounds, in addition to adding seven points and a team-high two blocks.
Zaph knocked down a pair of free throws to give FAU the opening lead, but the Hurricanes responded to score seven and take a 7-2 lead. The Owls came roaring back, scoring six unanswered to retake the lead, 8-7, after a jumper from Zaph following a Canes turnover, however, the Canes answered back with an 11-2 run over the final four minutes of the period to take an 18-10 lead.
The Owls opened the second a little slow, hitting their first basket of the period on a layup from Hubbard to make it 30-12 Miami. The Owls struggled to get anything to fall in the period as Miami maintained its 18-point advantage through the halftime break, taking a 36-18 lead into the locker room.
FAU’s offensive struggles continued into the third, except for Janeta Rozentale, who scored all nine of the Owls’ points in the period, but Miami extended its lead in the third to take a 61-27 advantage into the final period of play.
The Owls played their best quarter in the fourth, outscoring the Hurricanes 15-14 over the final 10 minutes of play. FAU held Miami to a game-low 32 percent from the field, including a 0-6 mark from 3-point range, and 40 percent from the free-throw line, but it just wasn’t enough to cut into the Canes’ lead as Miami would eventually claim the 75-42 final.
NOTES AND TEAM STATS
- Janeta Rozentale led the Owls with 11 points, scoring 62.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range
- Rozentale scored nine of her 11 points in the third quarter
- Aniya Hubbard pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and added a season-high two blocks
- The Owls outscored Miami 15-14 in the fourth quarter, and held the Canes to just 32 percent from the field, including 0-6 from 3-point range, and 40 percent from the free-throw line
- FAU struggled to keep the Canes out of the paint as Miami scored 50 points in the key
- Miami also outscored the Owls on fastbreaks, 22-2, and 25-6 off turnovers
UP NEXT
The Owls return home on Monday, Nov. 21 as they host the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish for their home opener. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
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