Dolly Cairns produced a team-high 14 points Saturday in the Atlantic Slam to lead Florid Gulf Coast University women's basketball past Georgetown 66-57 on Price Edward Island in Canada.
"It was a good team win," first-year head coach Chelsea Lyles said. "We had multiple people step up. Really proud of our overall team effort. Looking forward to another chance to compete tomorrow."
Cairns was presented with the inaugural Atlantic Slam W game ball, shooting 50 percent from deep. The New York native knocked down three trifectas, while adding two rebounds and two assists on the night. As a team, FGCU drained a season-high 10 3-pointers, seven falling in the first half to give the Eagles a 34-28 lead at the break.
Alahna Paige connected from deep three times, and
Maddie Antenucci tickled the twine twice.
Skyler Gill and
Cerina Rolle also joined in the 3-point display Saturday.
Coach Lyles also stayed perfect in the coaching transition, now improving to 2-0 in her head coaching career to move the Eagles back to .500 on the year. FGCU tallied its fifth win over a Big East opponent Saturday, possessing a 5-3 overall record against teams in the conference.
The first bucket of the night was an Eagles' three as Rolle let one fly from the corner. Still, Georgetown managed to grab a 21-16 lead after one.
The Eagles fought back and continued to catch fire in the second quarter, while also clamping down the defensive side of the ball. FGCU hit three connective triples in the period as Antenucci hit the first trey during the stretch to tie the game at 21.
Paige's bucket from downtown made it 24-21, and Cairns stepped up to force a Hoya timeout, giving FGCU a 27-21 advantage on an 11-0 run. The Eagles held Georgetown scoreless for over six minutes in the period, outscoring the Hoyas 18-7.
ASUN Preseason Player of the Year Emani Jefferson showed off her speed in the opening seconds of the third quarter with a steal and a fast break layup. Jefferson finished with 10 points, emerging as the third Eagle to reach double figures Saturday.
Late in the third quarter, Gill powered through contact in an and-one opportunity to help FGCU cling to a 46-43 lead heading into the fourth. With 1:46 remaining, Antenucci fired the inevitable 3-point dagger to push the FGCU lead to double digits and the largest of the night at 62-52.
Rolle finished with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The Eagles won the battle on the boards, 35-28.
FGCU faces another Power 4 opponent Sunday in less than 24 hours. The Eagles square off against the Cincinnati Bearcats at 3 p.m. on ESPN+ close out the Atlantic Slam event.
