FORT MYERS, Fla. – Lauryn Taylor recorded her fourth straight double-double performance Saturday as Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball defeated Eastern Kentucky on Azul's birthday, winning 86-56 in front of a season-high 2,017 in attendance at Alico Arena.
"Happy with the team's effort today," head coach Chelsea Lyles said. "We had a lot of players step up and make plays defensively, which helped our offense."
Taylor continues to be a menace on both sides of the ball in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Four of her six double-doubles this season have come in league play. She produced a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds Saturday, shooting 50 percent from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.
Taylor propelled FGCU to its 10th straight victory and an 8-0 ledger in ASUN play. She also helped FGCU extend its win streak against ASUN opponents to 41. FGCU has won each conference game this season by double-digits, for an average of 26.6 points. Defensively, the Eagles have held 17 of its 20 opponents to under 58 points, boasting the nation's seventh-best scoring defense coming into Saturday's contest.
FGCU suckered EKU's leading averaging scorer, Alice Recanati, into two fouls within the first two minutes of play. FGCU would ultimately limit Recananti to a season-low two points. Despite her lack of production, EKU hung with FGCU early, forcing the Green and Blue deep into the shot clock on multiple possessions in the first quarter. FGCU clawed out to a 22-15 advantage after one.
In turn, EKU held FGCU's leading average scorer, Emani Jefferson, to just six points but eleven different Eagles scored Saturday. Khamari Mitchell-Steen pitched in 15 points, Cerina Rolle and Alahna Paige added nine apiece.
With 2:05 left before half, Taylor forced a steal while sprawling out of bounds. She then got up and sprinted down to the other end of the floor for the immediate backdoor layup, forcing EKU into a timeout up 39-22. FGCU held EKU to just nine points in the period. The Eagles were a perfect 8-for-8 from the line heading into halftime and finished the day 13-of-15 from the charity stripe.
An 8-0 FGCU run in the third quarter would give the Eagles a commanding 50-26 lead. Heading into the final period, FGCU cruised out to a 30-point advantage, 65-35.
Coach Lyles, who improved to 17-1, emptied the bench late in the final period as Jordan Campbell scored a contested layup, and Karina Gordon put her defender on skates with a knockdown trey. FGCU would lead by as many as 35 in the final quarter.
FGCU returns to Alico Arena next Thursday against Lipscomb for a 6 p.m. tip. Fans who donate shoes for the Laces of Love Shoe Drive will be entered to win an autograph ball by Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. On Saturday, Feb. 1, FGCU hosts Austin Peay at 4 p.m. for Homecoming.
Tickets start at just $12 for general admission. Eagles fans can create and select their own mini-plan of four or six-game packages starting at $44. For more information on single-game and season tickets, please click
here or call the FGCU Ticket Office at 1-866-FGCU-TIX (866-324-8449).
