FORT MYERS, Fla. – Emani Jefferson dropped a career-high 24 points Thursday as Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball secured an 82-57 victory over Queens at Alico Arena.
"I think we need to play a little bit better, but it's good to get a win, and we have a day to get prepared for Kennesaw," head coach Karl Smesko said. "I still think that we have some players that have their best basketball in front of them for the rest of the season. I'm optimistic about how good this team could become."
Thursday night's battle emerged as a foul fest. The game witnessed a combined 44 fouls between the Eagles and the Royals. FGCU capitalized on the free points, shooting a season-high 25-of-37 from the line to win their seventh straight game. Queens shot 12-of-19 from the charity stripe.
FGCU (14-4, 4-0 ASUN) also extended its home winning streak to 22 consecutive games and remained perfect in Atlantic Sun Conference play this season. The Eagles have not lost inside Alico Arena in 403 days.
Jefferson scored nearly half of FGCU's 40 points at the break. She rattled off a team-leading 18 points heading back into the locker room. Her previous career high was 22, which was set in 2022 as a member of Wright State against Tulsa.
Late in the opening period, Brylee Bartram hit a transition three to put the Eagles up 10, 18-8. FGCU would lead by four after one, 18-14. The Eagles never trailed Thursday.
FGCU traded one point for three at the 6:28 mark in the second. Sofia Persson hit the front iron on her second free throw attempt, Kierra Adams corralled the rebound and found Maddie Antenucci - who connected from downtown. The combo forced a Royals timeout as FGCU led 27-14.
The Green and Blue continued to find some flow and closed out the second period on a 12-2 run.
FGCU separated itself even more in the third. The Eagles scored the first 13 points of the quarter, soaring to its largest lead of the night at 31 points, 53-22. FGCU would then go scoreless for over five minutes.
Despite going cold for a significant amount of time, FGCU's defensive effort would not allow Queens to pull any closer than 20 points the rest of the way.
Uju Ezeudu turned in her third double-double performance of the season with 11 points and 12 boards. Antenucci emerged as the third Eagle to hit double figures Thursday, finishing with 15 points and a game-high three-made threes.
FGCU returns to the Nest on Saturday to host Kennesaw State at 4 p.m.
