JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After trailing by nine points in the second quarter, the FGCU women's basketball team mounted a late-game comeback Wednesday night at Jacksonville's Swisher Gymnasium and sent the Atlantic Sun Conference matchup in overtime. The Eagles outscored JU in the extra period and moved to 21-4 on the season with a 59-55 win. FGCU improves to 9-0 in A-Sun action with its 14th-straight win, while the Dolphins fall to 14-10 with a 6-3 league record.
 
FGCU took a quick 8-0 lead out of the gates, but the Dolphins responded with a 19-2 run to take control midway through the first quarter. The home team maintained control for nearly 30 minutes of action with a higher offensive efficiency and a heavy advantage on the boards.  Jacksonville maintained a 39-33 lead after three quarters but the Eagles increased the offensive drive in the fourth quarter to challenge the Dolphins. FGCU claimed a one-point lead with seven minutes to play but Jacksonville increased its advantage back to four points on a pivotal 3-pointer with five minutes to go. The teams traded empty possessions late in the game as FGCU trailed 46-42 in the final minutes.
 
In the last 50 seconds of action, Whitney Knight (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds High School) grabbed a steal and took it to the other end for a layup, bringing the Eagles within two points. Knight grabbed another steal on the Dolphin's next possession but the Eagles failed to score on the drive. With 16 seconds on the clock, Kaneisha Atwater (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce-Westwood High School/VCU) leapt in the air to steal a Dolphin inbounds pass at the Eagles' 3-point line. Atwater quickly dished the ball to Knight who made a quick decision to find a cutting Stephanie Haas (Avon Lake, Ohio/Magnificat High School) who put up her signature scoop shot to tie the game at 46.
 
The Eagles scored the first four points of the overtime period and quickly took an eight-point lead with high offensive efficiency.  FGCU ultimately outscored the home team 13-9 in the final five minutes to earn its 38th-straight win against an A-Sun foe.
 
"We were fortunate to find a way to win tonight," said head coach Karl Smesko. "Jacksonville outplayed us for most of the game but we were able to make enough plays in the fourth quarter and overtime to get the win. I give Jacksonville a lot of credit. They were outstanding tonight."
 
Overall, the Dolphins outperformed the Eagles statistically as the home team held a 37.9 percent to 36.8 percent advantage from the floor and a 53-28 advantage on the glass. The Eagles made five 3-pointers and forced 21 Jacksonville turnovers with 10 blocks and nine steals on the night to use the defensive pressure to their advantage.
 
Knight led all players with another all-around performance. The senior scored 24 points with 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and added six blocks and three steals. Atwater and Haas each added 12 points for the Green and Blue. DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga./Westover High School) added seven points for the Eagles with five made free throws on seven attempts, including three of four opportunities during the extra time.
 
The Eagles face a busy week ahead with another road swing over the weekend. The team travels to Newark, N.J. for a 1 p.m. contest at NJIT on Saturday, Feb. 13 and will take on USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C. on Monday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
 
Game Notes: FGCU won its 14th-straight game of the season and is undefeated in A-Sun action since Feb. 1, 2014…the team is now 18-1 all-time against JU with 17-straight wins…the Eagles are one of 10 teams nationwide undefeated in conference play, joining Connecticut, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Colorado State, Albany, New Mexico State, Arkansas State, Penn and UC Riverside…FGCU's 38-game win streak against conference opponents is the second longest in the nation, behind only UConn's…Stephanie Haas now stands just two points shy of 1,000 career points…with six blocks against JU, Whitney Knight maintains the second position all-time in the Atlantic Sun Conference record books at 282 career blocks…DyTiesha Dunson ranks second all-time in the FGCU record books with 378 career assists (complete records available here).
 
For up-to-the minute information on the FGCU women's basketball team, stay tuned to FGCUAthletics.com and follow the official Twitter of FGCU women's basketball at @FGCU_WBB.
 
TICKET SALES
Single-game tickets for all FGCU women's basketball games are on sale.  Fans can purchase tickets online at FGCUAthletics.com, over the phone at 239-590-7145 or in person at the Alico Arena Box Office.
 
SMESKO
Head coach Karl Smesko earned his fifth-consecutive Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year award after a successful 2014-15 campaign. Under his direction, the team compiled a Division I program best record of 31-3, including a 14-0 mark in conference action and earned its first-ever national ranking. The team earned its third NCAA Tournament appearance as a seven seed and won its first ever DI NCAA Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 31 wins in the 2014-15 season, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 11-straight 20+ win seasons.  He maintains a record of 366-71 at FGCU for a win percentage of 83.7 with a mark of 140-13 (91.4 W%) in Atlantic Sun contests and has led the team to a 76-1 record in conference play in the last five seasons.  The six-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year earned his 400th career win last season in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma, and holds a career record of 427-98 (81.2 W%).  Smesko ranks among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group.