WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida Atlantic women’s basketball (5-6) closed out non-conference play on Thursday, falling in a 75-48 battle against the San Diego State Aztecs (9-4) in the West Palm Beach Classic at Rubin Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
San Diego State opened the contest on an 8-1 run to lead by seven at the six-minute mark. The Owls mounted a 7-0 scoring run over the following four minutes of clock, capped off by a Devyn Scott 3-pointer, to even the contest at 8-8. The Owls and Aztecs traded baskets to close out the quarter, 12-12.
The Owls kept the contest within one at the 7:23-minute mark after a pair of free throws from Allie Tylka, 17-16, however San Diego State closed the half on an 11-4 run to take an eight-point lead into the halftime break, 28-20.
Out of the break, the Aztecs opened the second half on a 10-1 run to extend their lead to 17, 38-21. San Diego State maintained its 17-point advantage through a 51-34 lead, however, Hanna beat the buzzer to close out the third as the Owls cut the deficit to 51-36 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Florida Atlantic just couldn’t battle back into the contest as San Diego State outscored the Owls 24-12 in the fourth to eventually close out the 75-48 contest.
HEAD COACH JENNIFER SULLIVAN POSTGAME THOUGHTS
“Tough game. Felt really good about it going into the game. All of our pieces make a big difference for what we’re trying to do. Finding out a few minutes before game time that Jada wouldn’t be able to play, I think made a big difference. I was proud of our team’s fight, getting that news, and trying to execute. That was a big missing piece that was important for us on both sides of the ball. We’ll regroup. A much needed break coming our kids way, and we will come back and try to pick up where we left off after UCF going into conference play.”
NOTES AND TEAM STATS
- Three Owls registered double-digits in the contest, led by Janeta Rozentale.
- Rozentale turned in her third double-double of the season, scoring a team-leading 12 points, shooting 38 percent (5-of-13) from the field, while also leading the Owls on the glass with 11 boards. She also added an assist and a steal.
- Mya Perry scored a team second-best 11 points, shooting 40 percent (2-of-5) from 3-point range and 30 percent (3-of-10) from the field, in addition to adding a rebound and an assist.
- Dyllan Hanna rounded out the Owls double-digit scorers with a season-high 10 points, shooting 75 percent (3-of-4) from the field and 67 percent (4-of-6) from the line, and adding five rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Owls will open up their inaugural American Athletic Conference campaign following the holiday break, hosting the UAB Blazers on Saturday, Dec. 30 for a 1 p.m. tip.
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