BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (9-9, 7-7 Conference USA) picked up their fifth consecutive home victory after an 86-61 win over Southern Miss (7-11, 5-11 C-USA). With the victory, FAU earned the series sweep over the Lady Eagles to improve to .500. The Owls shot 55.8 percent from the field, went 13-26 from beyond the arc and had five players in double digits in scoring.
HOW IT WAS DECIDED
1Q
The Owls started the game on a 9-2 run. As time was winding down on the shot clock in the first two minutes of the game, Alexa Zaph knocked down a deep 3-pointer to put the Owls up by seven points. FAU then cruised on another run, 12-0, to lead 21-5 with 4:01 remaining in the quarter. Southern Miss found their groove to go on an 8-3 run, but Zaph picked up the Owls’ momentum by hitting another triple with 23 seconds left in the quarter. The Owls led 27-13 after one frame of play with Iggy Allen leading FAU with seven points, and Sofia Galeron, Amber Gaston and Zaph each logging six points.
2Q
Astou Gaye and Janeta Rozentale started out the quarter with baskets on two straight FAU possessions. FAU went on a 10-6 run and then Bre Beck helped the Owls take an 18-point lead after she stole the ball and took it the other end for a layup. Southern Miss fell in a scoring drought for two minutes, but the Lady Eagles finished the frame on a 4-1 run. FAU went back into the locker room with a 46-29 edge at the half.
3Q
The Owls commenced the quarter on a 14-2 run, which was capped off by Galeron’s third 3-pointer of the game, 10th for FAU. The Owls led 60-35 at the media timeout halfway through the quarter. FAU tripped into a scoring drought for 2:05 until Beck broke it with a driving layup. FAU took a 30-point lead, their largest in the game, at the end of the third quarter with a 70-40 advantage.
4Q
The Owls took two minutes to score in the game’s final quarter, but Gaye broke the drought off a layup. Southern Miss came up with a 12-4 run to cut the Owls’ lead to 21 with 4:34 left in the game, but Beck captured a second-chance 3-pointer to notch into double digits for the first time of her career. The Owls were outscored. 21-16 in the fourth quarter, but still registered a decisive 86-61 victory over the Lady Eagles for the series sweep.
GAME NOTES
- The Owls had five players score double digits, the eighth time the Owls have had 4+ players in double digits this season
- Gaston delivered a great game, tallying a career-high 22 points along with five rebounds and a block
- Allen followed with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists in less than three full quarters
- Beck logged a career-high 14 points, five rebounds and two steals off the bench
- Galeron made her way into double digits in scoring for her third consecutive game, finishing just shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds along with three steals
- Zaph went 4-5 from beyond the arc to register 12 points along with three rebounds, five assists and no turnovers. This marks the second straight five-assist game for Zaph, third of the season
- Rozentale ended the day with four points and six rebounds, while matching a career-high four assists
- Senior Gaye tallied five points, five rebounds and two assists in her final home game
- The Owls’ 86 points is the most scored in a C-USA game this season
- FAU picked up its best percentage from 3-point range this season, after shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc (13-26)
- The Owls picked up a +15.0 rebounding margin over the Lady Eagles
- This season, the Owls finished 7-2 at home
- FAU’s seven C-USA wins matches the most earned by the Owls in the program’s days of belonging to the league
FROM COACH JIM
On the Win:
“I feel like our defense is getting better,” said head coach Jim Jabir. “We rebounded very well, so that was two things we emphasized a lot. I think we still need to get better at executing offense, but I was really proud of our field goal percentage and our defense, so I think we are getting better and we are going to need to because Charlotte is a really good team and we have two really important games against them.”
On Gaye’s Senior Day:
“Astou [Gaye] has been so solid and important to us on the court and off the court. She is just a really solid human being. We are going to miss her a lot. I don’t think we even understand the value she brings us in so many ways, but I’m going to miss her a lot personally. I think she is an amazing person.”
UP NEXT
FAU’s 2020-21 regular season home slate has come to a close. The Owls’ last and final regular season matchup is at Charlotte next week on March 5 and 6, both with a 3 p.m. tipoff.
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