FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Eagles battled throughout Saturday afternoon but came up short, falling 53-44 to Lipscomb at Alico Arena.
RECORDS: Florida Gulf Coast 9-10, 5-3 ASUN | Lipscomb 7-12, 4-4 ASUN
SCORE: Florida Gulf Coast 44 | Lipscomb 53
LOCATION: Alico Arena | Fort Myers, Fla.
First Quarter: FGCU came out with energy and early defensive activity, trading stops and scores in a tightly played opening stretch.
Sinai Douglas opened the Eagles' scoring with a jumper, then answered a Lipscomb run by setting up
Jalei Pillow for a three to tie it. Douglas later turned her own steal into a coast-to-coast layup in transition, and
Anna Mortag knocked down a midrange jumper off a Douglas assist to keep FGCU within one possession. Douglas added a late three, and
Cerina Rolle finished at the rim in the final two minutes as the Eagles stayed within one, trailing 15-14 after 10.
Second Quarter: FGCU's defense created chances, but shots were hard to come by in a six-point quarter. Rolle briefly steadied the offense with a pull-up jumper early in the period, and
Nay Staton got the Eagles to the line to keep it a one-score game after the media timeout.
Eve Alexander made plays defensively with two steals in a key stretch, helping FGCU briefly regain the lead when Staton hit a jumper. Lipscomb answered with a 3 and closed the half by cashing in at the line, sending the Eagles to intermission down 26-20.
Third Quarter: The Eagles showed their best two-way stretch coming out of halftime, using pressure to string together stops and manufacture points at the stripe.
Jordan Campbell picked up the defensive tone with a steal, and Staton continued to chip away with free throws as FGCU tried to climb back into it.
Cerina Rolle produced a momentum play by jumping a passing lane for a steal and finishing the other way for a fast-break layup, and
Airah Lavy followed with a three-pointer to cut into the margin.
Maca Retamales added another late three off a Douglas assist, but Lipscomb hit timely perimeter shots to keep control, with FGCU trailing 41-33 heading to the fourth.
Fourth Quarter: FGCU kept fighting behind its defense and shooting from deep, but couldn't get enough clean looks to complete the comeback. Retamales opened the quarter with a three after an offensive rebound sequence and later buried another from the wing to keep the Eagles within striking distance. Douglas sparked the pressure with a pair of steals, and Rolle finished a layup in the paint to bring FGCU within seven in the final four minutes. Lipscomb answered with finishes at the rim and a late transition basket, closing out the 53-44 win.
FGCU was led by
Maca Retamales with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting, all four coming from three-point range.
Cerina Rolle and
Nay Staton scored eight apiece, with Staton going 6-for-6 at the line.
Sinai Douglas added seven points, seven assists and four steals, while
Eve Alexander pulled down seven rebounds and recorded two steals and a block as FGCU finished with 14 steals.
FGCU heads back on the road, traveling to Central Arkansas for a Thursday night contest on Jan. 29. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT in Conway.
To purchase tickets to any home FGCU game, please visit this
link, or call (866) 342-8849.
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