FORT MYERS, Fla. -
Khamari Mitchell-Steen led three Eagles in double-figures in scoring, notching 16 points to help Florida Gulf Coast University to a 63-49 victory over the University of West Georgia Saturday afternoon in Atlantic Sun Conference women's basketball action from Alico Arena.
Emani Jefferson scored 13 points for the Green & Blue, tying
Lauryn Taylor for team-high honors in rebounds with seven.
Cerina Rolle was the third Eagle in double-digits with 12 points.
"We've got to clean up some stuff offensively, but defensively they stuck to the game plan and I thought they did a pretty good job," said FGCU head coach
Chelsea Lyles who won her 11th game at the helm in 12 tries. "I'm really pleased with our effort defensively. That's what saving us the most and why we're winning a lot of these games."
The Eagles won their 35th game in a row in ASUN play. FGCU also improved to 271-1 in program history when allowing 50 points or less. The Eagles turned UWG over 23 times, with 12 of those turnovers coming via steals.
Casey Santoro led FGCU with three steals on the afternoon.
FGCU (11-3, 2-0 ASUN) never trailed, taking the lead for good after breaking a 9-9 tie with a
Kaelyn Flowers 3-pointer with just under three minutes to go in the first quarter. The Wolves would be kept off the scoreboard for the final three minutes of the quarter as FGCU led 14-9 after 10 minutes
Dolly Cairns drilled a 3-pointer to start the second quarter and Jefferson drove to the hoop for a lay-up to give FGCU its first double-digit lead of the game with just over a minute gone in the second quarter. UWG (6-7, 0-2 ASUN) was able to chip away, pulling within three midway through the period 26-23. Again, the Eagles would slam the door on the Wolves. The guests wouldn't score for the rest of the half and FGCU would hold a 32-23 lead at the break.
"We just got a little complacent with our defense and we weren't guarding people the way we were supposed to be guarding them," said Coach Lyles. "It's just staying locked in for 40 minutes and following the game plan to how we're going to guard."
FGCU would continue the run into the second half as the lead ballooned up to 18, 45-27, after Taylor recorded a steal then drove to the hoop for bucket with 2:03 left in the third quarter. UWG would get as close as eight in the fourth quarter, but FGCU would hold on for the victory.
The Eagles were just 5-of-22 from 3-point range, but UWG made just two tries in nine attempts from distance. FGCU only gave up six trips to the charity stripe while going 14-of-23 from the line for the game.
Skyler Gill and Taylor each had two blocks as FGCU had five for the game. UWG had seven blocked shots as K'Nari Holliday had five of her own.
Zuriyah Davis had 18 points for UWG, leading all scorers.
FGCU will now hit the road for four the next four games, beginning with this Thursday at North Florida. Tip time in Jacksonville is set for 7 p.m.
