FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball won its seventh consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title Saturday, defeating No. 3 Central Arkansas 76-47 at Alico Arena to punch its ticket back to the Big Dance for the 10th time in program history.
"I thought the crowd was outstanding," head coach Karl Smesko said. "In the first half, both teams got a lot of good looks, and neither one shot it that well. In the second half, we shot the three-ball a lot better. It was a great team effort. We are really excited about getting to the NCAA Tournament and finding out who we are going to play."
Central Arkansas scored the game's opening basket but would only lead for a grand total of 55 seconds Saturday. Ajulu Thatha soon hit the Eagles' first three of the night, giving FGCU a 5-3 lead it would not relinquish. FGCU hit 14 3-pointers, draining five in the final period and 10 in the second half alone.
Behind a crowd of 2,259 Eagle faithful, FGCU soared out to a commanding 21-11 at the end of one. The second period witnessed a defensive slugfest. Only 19 combined points were scored in the second, but FGCU edged the Sugar Bears 11-8 to head into the half up 32-19.
At the 5:23 mark of the third, Uju Ezeudu hit back-to-back threes to open up a 45-21 lead, sparking a 10-0 FGCU run. The Eagles took a 21-point advantage heading into the final period.
Ezeudu turned in her third double-double performance tournament to earn Tournament MVP status. Emani Jefferson's team-leading 20 points Saturday solidified herself on the All-Tournament Team. Dolly Cairns emerged as the third Eagle to land on the All-Tournament squad, finishing with 14 points.
The Eagles' resume for the 2024 NCAA Tournament comprises a 29-4 record, a 22-game win streak, a top 25 win over No. 18 North Carolina, a perfect 16-0 record in conference play, ASUN regular season and tournament champ status, ranked No. 2 overall in CollegeInsider.com's Mid Major Top 25 Poll and has NET Ranking of No. 56. Only FGCU and UConn have won at least 25 games in 14 consecutive seasons.
FGCU will learn their first-round opponent as a part of the 68-team field Sunday night as the Selection Show airs on ESPN at 8 p.m. FGCU will host a watch party on the Alico Arena jumbotron with the 2024 ASUN Tournament Champions in attendance. The party if free and open to the public and doors open at 7 p.m.
March Madness officially begins March 20-21 with the First Four. The First Round will be March 22-23, and there is no time to rest, as the Second Round commences on March 24-25. All NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
Just a season ago, FGCU upset fifth-seeded Washington State to become the winningest 12th seed in NCAA Tournament history. Smesko has directed FGCU to an NCAA Tournament win in its last two appearances. The Eagles are 4-9 all-time in the Big Dance, eyeing their first-ever Sweet 16 run.
