FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball earned a 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament field and will head to Norman, Oklahoma, to face the Sooners in a Big Dance rematch Saturday, March 22.
FGCU took the Sooners to the wire during its 2024 First Round action on a neutral site court in Bloomington, Indiana. The Eagles' game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer just fell short, and Oklahoma advanced 73-70. FGCU was leading 35-33 at the half. Saturday's rematch will take place at 2:30 p.m. (EST) and air on ESPNU.
A year later, FGCU (30-3) punched another ticket by winning its ninth straight Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament crown on Saturday with a 68-51 win over Central Arkansas, The Eagles will be making their 11th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Eagles 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, directed the Eagles to a 30-win season (30-1 as head coach) and an undefeated mark (18-0) in conference play. Oklahoma went 25-7 and 11-7 in their first season in the SEC and is ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll.
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 conference games this season.
With the exception of 2020 due COVID-19 pandemic, FGCU has made every NCAA Tournament field since 2017. The Eagles, the winningest 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, are 4-10 all-time in the Big Dance. FGCU's last First Round victory came in 2023 over Washington State, 74-63. FGCU took down Virginia Tech in 2022 and Missouri in 2018.
The rematch with Oklahoma will mark the second NCAA Tournament rematch the Eagles have had in the tournament. FGCU faced Oklahoma State in back-to-back tournament appearances in 2014 and 2015. The Cowgirls bested the Eagles in 2014, but FGCU returned in 2015 with a 75-67 victory to advance to the Second Round for the first time in program history.
FGCU will be raining threes in Norman with the ASUN Player of the Year Emani Jefferson and ASUN Third team honoree Lauryn Taylor, who has recorded 10 double-doubles this year with the Eagles. Dolly Cairns leads the Eagles' 3-point attack with 61 made triples, shooting 44.9 percent from deep. Alahna Paige is second with 56 treys. Jefferson was also named the ASUN Tournament MVP. Khamari Mitchell-Steen and Taylor made the All-Tournament list.
FGCU has knocked down 300 or more threes each season for the last 15 years. Sitting at 285, FGCU is 15 threes away from keeping the streak alive. FGCU is averaging 8.6 threes per game, ranking No. 21 in the country in the category. The Eagles have led the country in made threes in five out of the last seven years.
