2/17/2024 | Women’s Basketball | Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Atlantic women’s basketball () dominated the South Florida Bulls from start to finish, earning a 67-55 road victory on Saturday inside the Yuengling Center.
The win marked the Owls first against the Bulls since Dec. 28, 2001, snapping a three-game skid.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Owls traded baskets with the Bulls through a 4-4 tie. South Florida held a 6-4 advantage, before Devyn Scott knocked down Florida Atlantic’s first triple to give the Owls their first lead of the day, 7-6. The Bulls retook the lead at 8-7, but another triple from Alexa Zaph sparked an 11-7 run to give the Owls a three-point advantage after the opening period, 18-15.
Janeta Rozentale opened the second with a layup to extend the Owls’ lead to five, 20-15, however the Bulls responded, producing an 11-7 run to cut the Florida Atlantic lead to just one, 27-26, with 1:34 remaining in the half. Dyllan Hanna netted a jumper and Jada Moore closed out the half with an and-1 to extend the Owls lead back to six heading into the halftime break, 32-26.
Florida Atlantic continued to battle as South Florida cut the Owls’ advantage to just one after a 5-0 run to open the third, 32-31. The two squads traded baskets through a 37-36 Florida Atlantic lead, however the Owls kept their foot on the gas as they closed the quarter on a 13-8 run to kick their lead back out to six entering the final 10 minutes of play, 50-44.
The Bulls closed within three, 56-53, at the 6:06-minute mark, but that was as close as South Florida would get. The Owls locked in over the final six minutes of play, closing the contest on an 11-2 run to secure the 12-point victory, 67-55.
HEAD COACH JENNIFER SULLIVAN POSTGAME THOUGHTS
“Huge win, just so proud of this group. Just had every reason to come over here and put our heads down, and they just found another gear. I’m just so proud of them defensively, getting stops on the defensive end, and we were able to score offensively, which was great. Across the board, just super proud of them. Big win, big in-state win, and a big win in conference.”
NOTES AND TEAM STATS
- Jada Moore, Devyn Scott, and Alexa Zaph led the Owls in the win.
- Moore scored a career-best 22 points, shooting 53 percent (9-of-17) from the field and going 4-of-6 at the line. She also tallied her second career double-double with 11 rebounds, to go along with four assists.
- Scott produced a season-high 17 points, shooting 75 percent (6-of-8) from the field, a perfect 100 percent (3-of-3) from beyond the arc, and going 2-of-3 at the free throw line, and added two assists, a rebound, a steal, and a block.
- Zaph netted 13 points on 50 percent (4-of-8) from the field, 40 percent (2-of-5) from 3-point range, and 75 percent (3-of-4) at the line, to go along with three assists and a board.
- The Owls outscored the Bulls 18-15 in the first, 14-11 in the second, and 17-11 in the fourth, and tied 18-18 in the third.
- Florida Atlantic dominated in the paint, outscoring South Florida 38-24.
- The Owls also held an advantage in bench production, 17-10, and in points off turnovers, 15-12.
UP NEXT
The Owls remain on the road next week as they head to the Lone Star State to take on the UTSA Roadrunners on Feb. 25. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the UTSA Convocation Center.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
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