Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball walked into Conway, Arkansas, Thursday and provided a statement win to the rest of the conference, defeating the second-place Sugar Bears 95-71 to improve to 15-0 in league action.
"We had a lot of players step up and play well," head coach Chelsea Lyles said. "Proud of the way they competed and executed the game plan."
Rapid Recap:
Lyles had the Eagles ready to play from the opening tip. FGCU scored the first seven points and made its first eight shot attempts en route to a 35-point first quarter. With a crossover and an up-and-under move in the paint, Emani Jefferson made it 7-0 Eagles. Jefferson finished with a team and game-high 20 points.
Casey Santoro revealed more of the Eagles' speed with a transition layup, giving FGCU a 14-8 advantage. FGCU's first miss of the game occurred at the line at the 5:36 mark, but Skyler Gill corralled the rebound to find Santoro waiting for a knockdown three. Alahna Paige showed off her range with a trailing three, quieting the crowd for a 32-14 lead. At the end of one, FGCU held a 15-point lead, up 35-20.
Paige tickled the twine again at the 5:54 mark of the second period, and Lauryn Taylor later drained one in the closing minutes of the half to make it 51-33 FGCU. The Eagles led by as many as 20 in the second quarter but maintained its 15-point lead heading into halftime, 53-38. FGCU shot 67.9 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from three at the half.
FGCU began to wear down the Sugar Bears in the third. Khamari Mitchell-Steen intercepted a lazy pass for easy two, giving the Green and Blue a 22-point lead. Cerina Rolle finished an old-fashioned 3-point play as FGCU took a 66-48 lead with 1:55 to play in the period. The Eagles lead by 19, 69-50, heading into the fourth, and the Sugar Bears would not draw any closer in the final 10 minutes.
Notes and Numbers:
- FGCU (24-3, 15-0) has earned a two-game lead over Central Arkansas (19-7, 13-2) in the ASUN regular season standings with just three games to play.
- The Eagles have won 17 straight and are a perfect 15-0 in the ASUN, having yet to lose in 2025. FGCU has won 14 of 15 conference games by more than 10 points. FGCU improved its win streak against ASUN opponents to 48 consecutive games, a streak that dates back to Jan. 21, 2023.
- Taylor had 17 points as four Eagles reached double-figures Thursday. Mitchell-Steen pitched in 13, and Paige added 12.
- Paige, Santoro and Taylor each hit two or more threes. Paige sank a team-high three as FGCU knocked down 10.
- Defensively, FGCU held UCA's leading averaging scorer to just two points and also limited the Sugar Bears' leading shot blocker to just 18 minutes on the floor, pressuring with early foul trouble.
Up Next:
FGCU travels to North Alabama (12-14, 7-8) on Saturday to face the Lions for the first time this season. Tipoff in Florence, Alabama is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
