BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Dec. 15, 2019) – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team (6-3) took down Central Connecticut State (0-9) in Sunday’s tilt, 72-54. FAU trailed Central Connecticut by as many as seven in the contest, but the Owls pulled away late in the game, outscoring the Blue Devils 22-8 in the fourth quarter.
How It Was Decided:
The Owls got off to a tough start in the first quarter, as they trailed the Blue Devils 18-15 after one frame of play. In the quarter, Crystal Primm got to the free throw line three times, knocking down all six foul shots to lead both sides with eight points early in the contest.
Central Connecticut reached their largest lead in the game early in the second quarter, as they hiked their lead up to seven, but back-to-back 3-pointers scored by Juliette Gauthier and Lotta Vehka-Aho pulled the Owls within distance. With 4:11 left in the half, Astou Gaye pushed the Owls ahead for the first time in the game with a nice drive to the basket. The junior had six points and five boards in the second quarter. Central Connecticut would then pull ahead again, but Tanyia Gordan came up with a scoop and score prior to the end of the half, and the Owls went to the locker room trailing, 34-33.
The Owls came into the second half with intensity, opening up the third quarter on a 4-0 run. After a Central Connecticut 3-pointer tied the game for the second time of the day, the Owls went on a 13-7 run to close out the quarter with a 50-46 lead.
With a two-possession lead going into the fourth quarter, Nikola Ozola drove straight to the basket to get the Owls’ run started. Following a Primm layup, Gauthier knocked down her second 3-pointer in the game to extend FAU’s lead to double digits with 4:51 left. The Owls would go on to outscore the Blue Devils 22-8 in fourth quarter and pull out a 72-54 victory.
Game Notes:
- Gaye had her breakout game as an Owl. The junior tallied a career-high 17 points and 12 rebounds to capture first career double-double
- Vehka-Aho led both sides with 18 points, while adding in two boards
- Primm was the third Owl in double-digits, recording 16 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block
- Gauthier was just shy of a double-double, delivering eight points and nine boards, while playing 37 minutes in the contest
- The Owls were 88 percent from the charity strike, which is a new season high. FAU also shot 43.1 percent from the field
- The Owls captured their sixth win of the season, surpassing last year’s win total
With Coach Jabir:
“I was happy with the way we came back in the second half after being off for a long time,” said head coach Jim Jabir. “I thought we played with some poise and now we have to get ready for a really good Furman team.”
Up Next:
The Owls will prepare to host the annual Holiday Classic this Friday and Saturday. FAU will get things started against Furman on Friday at 2 p.m. For tickets, call 1-800-FAU-OWLS or visit the main FAU Women’s Basketball ticket page.
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.
