CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Eagles used a dominant second-half surge to pull away from Queens on Saturday afternoon, earning a big 65-45 road victory inside Curry Arena. After a tightly contested first half, the Eagles broke the game open in the third quarter and never looked back.
RECORDS: Florida Gulf Coast 9-8, 5-1 ASUN | Queens 7-10, 1-5 ASUN
SCORE: Florida Gulf Coast 65 | Queens 45
LOCATION: Curry Arena | Charlotte, N.C.
First Quarter: FGCU settled in early behind defensive pressure and strong finishes at the rim.
Nay Staton gave the Eagles an early spark with a layup to put FGCU ahead 8-5 midway through the quarter, and the Eagles continued to force turnovers to generate transition chances. Queens briefly edged in front late, but
Jordan Campbell swung momentum back to FGCU with a steal and fast-break layup to make it 12-11 in the final minute. FGCU carried that one-point advantage into the quarter break, built on defensive energy and strong rebounding.
Second Quarter: The second frame of the game remained back-and-forth as both teams traded baskets and defensive stops.
Eve Alexander and
Jalei Pillow provided steady interior scoring, while FGCU's bench brought energy on both ends. Queens moved ahead briefly late in the quarter, but FGCU closed strong. With under a minute remaining,
Anna Mortag knocked down a three-pointer to give the Eagles a 24-23 lead at halftime, giving the Eagles good momentum heading into the break.
Third Quarter: FGCU seized control immediately coming out of the locker room with aggressive defense and sharp execution on offense. After Queens briefly tied the game early in the period, the Eagles responded with a decisive run. Campbell knocked down a three-pointer to put FGCU ahead 33-28, igniting the surge. Moments later, Staton stretched the lead further with a three from the wing, assisted by
Shameir Quimby. FGCU continued to turn stops into points, with Campbell burying a corner three to push the margin to 41-28. The Eagles kept attacking inside as well, highlighted by
Cerina Rolle's and-one finish that made it 46-32. FGCU closed the quarter on a dominant 23-4 run, fueled by defensive pressure, ball movement, and transition opportunities, to take full control heading into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter: FGCU picked up right where it left off to start the final frame, as Mortag drilled a deep three-pointer to open the scoring in the final frame. The Eagles remained locked in defensively, forcing tough shots and controlling the glass.
Karina Gordon added a fast-break layup, and FGCU continued to spread the floor while managing the tempo. Even as Queens looked to chip away, the Eagles answered with timely baskets and strong rebounding to maintain separation. FGCU closed out the game with poise, getting contributions across the lineup and holding Queens in check down the stretch to secure the 65-45 ASUN road victory.
FGCU finished the afternoon shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, while holding Queens to 45 points. The Eagles totaled 39 rebounds and eight steals, turning defensive stops into 19 points off turnovers and 11 fast-break points. Staton led FGCU with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with five rebounds, while Campbell added 10 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Alexander contributed nine points and two assists, Mortag was good for eight points and four rebounds, and the Eagles' bench accounted for 32 points as FGCU earned a complete team effort in Saturday's road win.
Head Coach
Raina Harmon - "We never take getting road wins for granted, so I'm super happy with the way we upped our intensity on defense in the second half. Our defensive pressure allowed us some easy scores which opened up the game for us."
Guard
Jordan Campbell - "The game started off slow and a bit chaotic offensively. I thought we responded really well coming out of halftime. We were able to pick up our shooting percentage and get more stops on defense. The third quarter was a good spark and carried on through the rest of the game."
The Eagles return home to host Austin Peay on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. inside Alico Arena.
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