JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball team (11-12, 7-5 ASUN) returns to the road on Thursday, February 12, facing off against North Florida (8-15, 3-9), tipping off at 7 p.m. inside UNF Arena in Jacksonville. The Eagles look to bounce back and continue building momentum in conference play as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Thursday's contest marks the 41st all-time meeting between FGCU and North Florida, with the Eagles owning a commanding 37-3 advantage in the series. FGCU has won 16 straight meetings against the Ospreys, including a 78-49 victory in Fort Myers last season on Feb. 12, 2025. Lauryn Taylor led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds in that meeting, while Emani Jefferson added 12 points and Dolly Cairns and Kaelyn Flowers chipped in 10 apiece.

FGCU enters the matchup coming off an 81-70 home loss to Jacksonville on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Alico Arena. Nay Staton paced the Eagles with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting and went 10-for-13 at the free-throw line, while Sinai Douglas added 14 points and nine rebounds. Airah Lavy provided a spark off the bench with four three-pointers for 12 points as the Eagles shot 44.8 percent from the field in the setback.

North Florida also looks to respond after a 75-68 home loss to West Georgia on Saturday, Feb. 7, in Jacksonville. Dezuray McGill led the Ospreys with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Alonya Waldon added 19 points and Jamisyn Stinson finished with seven points and seven rebounds. North Florida shot 43.6 percent from the field but was limited to 5-of-21 from three-point range in the loss.

This season, FGCU's defense has set the tone in conference play. Entering Thursday's contest against ASUN opponents, the Eagles are allowing a league-low 54.9 points per game, holding teams to the lowest field goal percentage (36.6%) and three-point percentage (25.0%) in the conference, while also permitting the second-fewest rebounds per game (32.8). Offensively, FGCU continues to lean on Staton (11.3 points per game) and Douglas (11.0 ppg) to handle the scoring load. Cerina Rolle (7.0 ppg) and Eve Alexander (7.0 ppg) add steady production inside, while Lavy has emerged as a perimeter threat, shooting better than 44 percent from three-point range.

North Florida enters the week averaging 62.5 points per game while shooting just under 40 percent from the field and 28.7 percent from three. Waldon leads the Ospreys at 11.0 points per game and is also their top free-throw producer, while Stinson (10.0 ppg) and McGill (10.0 ppg) provide additional scoring options in the backcourt. Alexa Washington contributes 8.3 points per game and helps anchor the defensive end, while Elle Blatchford adds scoring and perimeter versatility. Limiting clean three-point looks will be a priority for the Eagles against an Osprey team that relies heavily on spacing and ball movement to generate offense.

For FGCU, the keys to the game will center on continuing to improve game by game, taking care of the basketball, pushing the pace in transition and limiting North Florida's three-point opportunities. Establishing tempo early and converting defensive stops into easy scoring chances will be critical on the road.

Following Thursday night's contest, the Eagles continue their road swing on Saturday, Feb. 14, traveling to DeLand, Fla., to face Stetson at 2 p.m. inside Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center.

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