FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball remained unbeaten in Atlantic Sun Conference play Saturday with a dominant 93-65 win over Kennesaw State at Alico Arena.
"I thought we played really well," head coach Karl Smesko said. "I thought we forced them into tough shots in the first half. They are a great rebounding team, but everyone contributed to keep them off the offensive glass. We shared the ball, looked for teammates and were ready to pass it to them when they got open. We got a lot of good performances from everybody, and we really needed it today."
The Eagles are winners of eight straight and now sit all alone atop the conference standings. FGCU (15-4, 5-0 ASUN) has emerged as the only ASUN team to remain perfect in league play this season.
FGCU extended the nation's fifth-longest active home winning streak Saturday to 23 consecutive games. FGCU has not lost inside Alico Arena in 405 days and have won 27 straight against Kennesaw State.
In a battle of the unbeaten, the Eagles set the tone early by going a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor to begin the afternoon. For the game, FGCU shot a season-high 65 percent to KSU's 53 percent.
Uju Ezeudu scored the first six points for the Green and Blue and finished just one point shy of tying her season-high 24. Ezeudu produced 19 points in the first 20 minutes.
Kennesaw State would lead for only 23 seconds Saturday, scoring the game's first bucket. FGCU pushed the pace to secure a 13-point lead after one, 23-10.
FGCU hit three straight triples late in the second to climb to a 20-point advantage at the half, 45-25. The Eagles rained 11 threes in Saturday's win and also scored 52 points in the paint. FGCU has made 10 or more threes in nine games this season.
The Green and Blue would lead by as many as 38. Shekinah Guthrie's layup at the 6:38 mark in the fourth gave the Eagles its largest lead of the night, 85-47.
Four Eagles reached double figures Saturday. Ezeudu exploded for a team-leading 23 points, Emani Jefferson turned in 19, Brylee Bartram added 11 and Dolly Cairns had 10.
FGCU continues another quest through the ASUN next Thursday, Jan. 25, at Lipscomb. Tipoff in Nashville, Tennessee, is scheduled for 7 p.m.
