FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball won its ninth straight Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title Saturday, punching its ticket back to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history with a 68-51 win over Central Arkansas at Alico Arena.
The Eagles (30-3) have won 12 of 14 ASUN titles since becoming eligible in 2012. The 2025 title is the first of the Chelsea Lyles era. Lyles, the ASUN Coach of the Year, took over an 0-2 team and directed the Eagles to a 30-win season and an undefeated mark in conference play in her first season at the helm. FGCU has recorded 30 or more wins in three out of the last five seasons, and only FGCU and UConn have won 25 or more games for 15 straight years. The Eagles won each round of the ASUN Tournament by double-digit margins, including 17 of 18 regular-season conference games, and 54 straight against ASUN opponents.
FGCU, winners of 23 straight, will learn its destination in the NCAA Tournament field Sunday night as the Selection Show airs at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The latest women's bracketology has the Eagles landing in Chapel Hill to rain threes as the No. 12 seed. Three of FGCU's four NCAA Tournament wins have come as a No. 12 seed, the last coming in 2023. FGCU is the winningest 12 seed in NCAA Tournament history.
Emani Jefferson, back-to-back ASUN Player of the Year Award honoree, was named the ASUN Tournament MVP. Lauryn Taylor and Khamari Mitchell-Steen made the All-Tournament list. Jefferson produced a team-leading 15 points Saturday. Mitchell-Steen added 10, and Taylor had nine.
FGCU did not open the game a perfect 7-of-7 like the previous meeting, but still led the Sugar Bears 16-12 after one quarter of play. Taylor produced an old-fashioned three-point play to get the Eagles on the board and brought Alico Arena to its feet early. Casey Santoro drilled FGCU's first triple of the game at the 4:42 mark, giving FGCU an 8-6 lead at the time. Alahna Paige hit a running floater at the horn to close the opening period.
A Skyler Gill and-one and an ensuing technical on UCA's head coach allowed FGCU to take a hold of the game, up 14 to lead 33-19 with 3:35 left before the half. FGCU maintained its 14-point advantage heading into the half, 38-24.
At the 3:46 mark of the third, Cairns found the shooter's touch with an in-and-out three, and Taylor continued to make her presence known on the defensive side of the floor with an emphatic block. Cairns finished with 10 points in the title game. FGCU led by as many as 21 in the third quarter, and matched UCA's point total in the final period to soar to victory.
MVP chants started to ring throughout the building each time Jefferson touched the ball in the fourth period. Jefferson hit her lone trey of the game, putting FGCU up 66-47 with 4:05 to play. FGCU held UCA scoreless across the final 2:53 and forced the Sugar Bears into 22 turnovers.
Despite only making six 3-pointers, the Eagles shot 43 percent from the field and dominated in the paint, edging UCA 38-18 in the category. FGCU has made 285 threes this season and is 15 away from hitting 300 or more for the 16th consecutive year. FGCU has led the country in made threes in five out of the last seven seasons. In 2018, the Eagles set the NCAA record for the most made threes in a single season with 431.
FGCU IN THE POLLS:
#6 in CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll (Has not dropped lower that No. 16)
RV (5) in USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll (Earned votes in the poll for 10 straight weeks)
