Box Score
RICHMOND, Va. – Senior Joyce Iamstrong (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional South HS/Jefferson College) finished with a career-high and game-high 20 points as the FGCU women's basketball team picked up its second consecutive quality win with a 70-62 non-conference victory over Richmond Wednesday night at the Robins Center.
“We had great team effort tonight,” said head coach Karl Smesko. “I am especially pleased with the production Stephanie Haas and Jaime Gluesing gave us off the bench.”
With the win, FGCU snapped Richmond's four-game winning streak and improved to 6-4 overall and 2-0 all-time against UR, while the Spiders fell to 7-5 on the season. The win also gives the Green and Blue their third win over a team that advanced to postseason play last season (FIU, Hampton, Richmond).
The Eagles, who drained 10 triples in the last meeting with Richmond (Nov. 25, 2011 in Fort Myers) and are 18th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (7.7) this season, knocked down nine shots from behind the arc, led by two treys from Iamstrong and redshirt-seniors Betsy Adams (Monticello, Ind./Twin Lakes HS/Valpo) and Lerrin Cook (Kearny, Ariz./Ray HS/Yavapai College).
Iamstrong finished with 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field, 2-of-8 from long distance and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. She also added four rebounds and a pair of steals. Redshirt junior Sarah Hansen (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane HS) tallied 18 points, her ninth double figure scoring performance of the season, to go with five rebounds, five assists and a season-high five steals. Freshman Stephanie Haas (Avon Lake, Ohio/Magnificat HS), in 18 huge minutes off the bench, registered career-highs in points (9) and rebounds (5). Freshman Jaime Gluesing (Solon, Ohio/Solon HS) totaled seven points, four boards and three assists. Senior Brittany Kennedy (Spokane, Wash./Lewis and Clark HS/Oregon State) grabbed eight boards and dished out eight assists, while Adams chipped in with eight points. Freshman DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga./Westover HS) made her collegiate debut, after sitting out nine games due to a knee injury, and recorded two boards and a steal in seven minutes.
After the Spiders took a 5-3 lead with 18:35 left in the opening half, the Eagles used a 10-2 run, highlighted five points from Iamstrong and a triple from Gluesing, to take a 13-7 advantage (13:15).
Richmond responded with a 10-0 spurt to go ahead 17-14 with 9:08 left in the opening half. The Spiders held FGCU scoreless for 5:07 until Haas was able to drill a triple from the right wing to cut the UR lead down to one point (17-16) at the 8:08 mark.
A pair of free throws from Richmond's Kristina King gave the Spiders a 19-16 advantage (7:19), but the Green and Blue responded in a big way. FGCU used a 13-5 run, capped by an Iamstrong three-pointer with 39 seconds left, over the final 6:58 of the period to take a 27-24 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
Iamstrong led all scorers with 10 points in the first half. She also added one assist and a steal, as FGCU shot 37.9 percent (11-for-29) from the floor and 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from behind the arc. Richmond shot 29.6 percent (8-for-27) from the field and hit three of their 11 attempts from long distance in the opening 20 minutes.
In the second half, the Eagles led by as many as 48-38 with 12:06 left, thanks to back-to-back triples from Cook, but Richmond went on a 7-0 run to get to within 48-45 with 10:24 remaining.
FGCU would counter with a bucket from Gluesing to push the game to two possessions (50-45). Richmond eventually tied the game, 59-59, at the 5:36 mark after a pair of Rachael Bilney free-throws, but the Eagles outscored the Spiders 11-3 over the final 5:01 to pick up the 70-62 non-conference win.
The Eagles will now return home to 'The Nest' at Alico Arena for another non-conference contest. FGCU will host on the Knights of UCF on Dec. 22. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
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