BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team is set to officially open the 2021-22 season on Wednesday, as the team hosts Palm Beach Atlantic. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Abessinio Court at FAU Arena, as Jennifer Sullivan coaches her first official game as a head women’s basketball coach.
SULLIVAN’S STATEMENTS
“Practice has been great! It was really good to have an exhibition game to put our uniforms on in front of the big lights. For not only for our girls to get some of those jitters out, but our staff to see them because I do think they play a little bit different when they are in front of a crowd. That was the first time for our staff to do that,” said coach Sullivan. “I thought this week at practice was great and I think the girls are really excited. I thought there was a lot of things we gained from the exhibition that we can take into our first real game tomorrow night. So we are really encouraged as a staff.
“Our players are going to show up and I don’t think I’ll have to preach a lot of the effort piece. Obviously I think when you play any school in state, there is a different level… I fully expect Palm Beach [Atlantic] to show up and make a statement. I think the kids are ready for that.”
ABOUT THE OWLS
- The program officially enters a new era under first-year head coach Sullivan
- Coach Sullivan is the sixth head coach of the program, bringing in 16 years of coaching experience
- FAU was picked to finish 10th in C-USA, as voted on by the league’s head coaches
- The team is coming off the 2020-21 season with an 11-11 (8-8 C-USA) record. Those eight conference wins are the most the Owls have achieved in C-USA
- The Owls also won their first C-USA Tournament game, to advance to the quarterfinals last year
- The team brings back 10 student-athletes from the 2020-21 squad, all of whom have seen time on a collegiate court
- Janeta Rozentale is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 9.9 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game
- Alexa Zaph started in all 20 games she appeared in at point guard, leading the way with 2.8 assists per game
- Juliette Gauthier is back after having to sit out last season due to an injury. She averaged 11 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game across a team-high 1,005 minutes played in 2019-20
- The Owls led Conference USA in offensive rebounds (15.1), which was 23rd in the NCAA last season
- FAU welcomes three first-year members to the squad. Marta Garcia is a transfer from Arizona, Kynadi Kuykendoll is a junior college transfer from Northwest Florida State and Simona Henshaw is a true freshman from London
- Stetson transfer Kimia Carter joined the team last spring and is now eligible to compete
LAST TIME OUT
- The Owls defeated Saint Leo, 75-60, in FAU’s exhibition game last Friday
- Four Owls ended the game with double digits in scoring and three tallied 10+ rebounds
- Amber Gaston led the way with 17 points and 11 boards while shooting 57.1 percent from the field
- Rita Pleskevich followed with 16 points and six boards and Alexa Zaph ended with 15 points (13-for-14 from the charity stripe)
- Rozentale produced 11 points and 10 boards and Sofia Galeron pulled down 10 rebounds
SCOUTING PBA
- PBA is coming off a 4-7 record in the shortened 2021 season
- The Sailfish have been projected to finish seventh in the Sunshine State Conference
- Head coach Manisha Redus is in her fourth season at the helm, posting a 14-50 record
- At the Sunshine State Conference Tournament, the team made a run to the finals but lost to Tampa, 64-50
HISTORY AGAINST THE SAILFISH
- The Owls have a 1-0 advantage over the Sailfish
- FAU defeated PBA, 80-46 on Nov. 15, 2007 at FAU Arena
UPCOMING
FAU will complete opening week with a Sunday matinee matchup against Bethune-Cookman at 2 p.m. Tickets for the game can be purchased here or by calling 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
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