FORT MYERS, Fla. – Playing in front of a record-setting crowd of 3,527 fans that established a new women's basketball regular-season attendance mark at Alico Arena, the Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball team hosted No. 3 South Carolina on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles battled all four quarters, but dropped the matchup against the Gamecocks 105-43.


RECORDS: Florida Gulf Coast 3-6, 0-0 ASUN | No. 3 South Carolina 11-1, 0-0 SEC
SCORE: Florida Gulf Coast 43 | No. 3 South Carolina 105
LOCATION: Alico Arena | Fort Myers, Fla.


First Quarter: FGCU opened the game with early energy and perimeter shooting, as Sinai Douglas buried a pair of triples and Nay Staton added a three to keep pace early. South Carolina answered with steady pressure and a dominant interior presence, turning second-chance opportunities into points and finishing the quarter on top, 24-11.

Second Quarter: The Gamecocks' physicality began to take control in the second, creating turnovers and converting consistently around the rim. FGCU found a scoring spark from Cerina Rolle, who knocked down a three, and Eve Alexander added a tip-in after an offensive rebound, but South Carolina's paint production and rebounding pushed the margin to 53-21 at the break.

Third Quarter: South Carolina continued to dictate the game with its defense and transition attack, forcing multiple FGCU turnovers and extending possessions with offensive rebounds. Douglas connected on another three and Staton got to the line to account for most of the Eagles' scoring in the frame, but the Gamecocks widened the gap and carried a 79-31 lead into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter: FGCU finished the afternoon battling to the final horn, with Rolle scoring inside and Douglas hitting her fourth triple of the game. South Carolina stayed efficient, getting contributions across the lineup while continuing to score at the rim and on second chances to close out the 105-43 result.

Douglas led FGCU with 14 points on four 3-pointers, while Rolle added 10 and Staton chipped in eight.


Head Coach Raina Harmon:
- Coach Harmon on what she liked from today's game
- Coach Harmon on what she has learned over the last month with the team's tough nonconference schedule Read Full Article