HAMPTON, Va. – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (1-1) came away with a thrilling victory at Hampton (2-1) Thursday night, 64-63. With time expiring, Lotta Vehka-Aho hit a jumper at the buzzer to hand Hampton their first loss of the season on their home opener.
How It Was Won:
The game was a tight one from start to finish and the Owls took advantage of a fast start, as Vehka-Aho put the team up, 8-6 with 4:12 remaining in the first quarter. Before the half, Gleinisha Harkless hit a 3-pointer and the Owls would win the quarter, 17-11.
Going into the second quarter, the pirates were clawing their way back in the game, but Tanyia Gordon hit back-back jumpers to elevate the Owls back to a six point lead, 31-25 with 3:47 remaining. The Pirates would then find a rhythm to go into halftime with a 36-33 lead. Overall, the Pirates had the advantage in the second quarter, as they outshot the Owls, 25-16.
The Owls started to find their groove again in the middle of the third quarter after being down as many as eight points. With 2:40 remaining in the quarter, Juliette Gauthier and Astou Gaye came up big from beyond the arc, to put the Owls within two points of the Pirates with 1:34 remaining. At the end of the third, the Owls trailed 50-46 to make up for an exciting finish in Hampton, Virginia.
With 2:07 remaining in the game, Primm showcased her dominance in the paint to come up with a layup and draw a foul in the process. At the line, Primm’s free throw was no good, but Gauthier came up with a huge rebound and the bucket to put the Owls up for the first time since the beginning of the second quarter, 59-58. The Pirates would answer on the other side of the court to take the lead, but Gaye came up big with 32 seconds left in the game, as the Owls retook the lead, 61-60. With 12 seconds left, Hampton got the ball back and the Pirates’ VanArsdale hit the three to put Hampton back up, 63-62. FAU took its last timeout with three seconds left in the game to set up freshman Vehka-Aho for the game-winning jumper at the buzzer to bring the Convocation Center to silence.
Coach Jabir’s Take:
“Our game showed our heart, our inexperience and our youth,” said head coach Jim Jabir. “We had 32 turnovers tonight and if you cut that in half, we probably would have won by 20. This is a starting point. Last year we won five game total so we are on our way to fixing that. We are really proud of our kids heart and their fight, but we have to get better, too.”
Game Notes:
- Primm led the Owls with 14 points and added six boards
- In just her second collegiate game, Vehka-Aho not only came up with the game winning shot, but tallied 11 points, three assists and three steals. She was also 2-3 from the 3-point line
- Gauthier was the third Owl to hit double digits, as she recorded 10 points and four assists. The sophomore also led the team with nine boards, just one shy from matching a career-high
- In her first game in an Owl uniform, Gaye registered eight points, three boards and a block
- Amber Gaston recorded three blocks. This marks her third 3+ block game of her career
- This win marks the first for the Owls since February 9, 2019, when the Owls took down UTSA at home, 86-70
Up Next:
The Owls will look to keep the huge momentum rolling, as they head northwest to face the Richmond Spiders on Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on EPSN+.
FAU will hold their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 19 against Siena at 7 p.m. For tickets, call 1-800-FAU-OWLS or visit FAUSports.com.
Owls On Social Media:
For complete coverage of FAU women’s basketball, follow us on Twitter (@FAU_WBB), Instagram (@FAU_WBB) and Facebook (Florida Atlantic Women’s Basketball).
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Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
