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55
Winner FGCU FGCU 12-12,8-5 ASUN
51
North Florida UNF 8-16,3-10 ASUN
Winner
FGCU FGCU
12-12,8-5 ASUN
55
Final
51
North Florida UNF
8-16,3-10 ASUN
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
FGCU FGCU 12 14 12 17 55
North Florida UNF 18 15 11 7 51
WBB

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Michael Ziegler

FGCU Closes Strong to Earn 55-51 Road Win at UNF

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball team closed strong on Thursday night, using late-game poise and a defensive stand down the stretch to earn a 55-51 road win over North Florida at UNF Arena.

FGCU trailed for most of the night before putting together its best stretch in the fourth quarter, holding North Florida to just seven points over the final 10 minutes to flip the game. After cutting the deficit to six entering the final period, the Eagles used defensive pressure and transition opportunities to climb back. Sinai Douglas led the charge offensively with a game-high 23 points, and FGCU made the key stops and free throws down the stretch to secure the 55-51 road victory.

Breakdown
RECORDS: Florida Gulf Coast 12-12, 8-5 ASUN | North Florida 8-16, 3-10 ASUN
SCORE: Florida Gulf Coast 55 | North Florida 51
LOCATION: UNF Arena | Jacksonville, Fla.

How It Happened
First Quarter: FGCU weathered an early UNF push and stayed within striking distance behind timely stops and a pair of big triples from Airah Lavy. After North Florida opened a lead with efficient early finishes, Lavy answered by knocking down her first three of the night to get the Eagles on the board from deep, and she later buried another from beyond the arc to keep FGCU attached. Sinai Douglas provided a jolt in transition with a coast-to-coast bucket, turning defense into offense as the Eagles tried to settle in. Cerina Rolle added a strong finish at the rim to tie the game midway through the quarter, but UNF's perimeter shooting helped the Ospreys carry an 18-12 edge into the break. Second Quarter: The Eagles picked up their pace in the second and leaned on pressure defense to create transition chances. Douglas delivered again in the open floor with a transition layup as FGCU looked to trim the deficit, then followed with a feed that set up Lavy for a fast-break three to pull the Eagles closer. FGCU also got a lift from Anna Mortag, who scored inside to stop a run, and the Eagles continued to battle on the glass to earn extra possessions. North Florida hit a few key threes to maintain momentum, but Douglas drilled a three late in the period and FGCU went into halftime down 33-26 after a strong closing stretch. Third Quarter: FGCU tightened up defensively coming out of the locker room and chipped away possession by possession. Early in the frame, Nay Staton scored to start the quarter's momentum swing, and Rolle delivered one of the turning points with an and-one finish in transition to bring the Eagles within striking distance. Douglas continued to apply pressure at the point of attack, creating a steal that led to free throws, and FGCU made multiple trips to the line to keep the climb going. Jalei Pillow added an and-one of her own, and the Eagles' defense held UNF without a three in the period as FGCU cut it to 44-38 entering the fourth. Fourth Quarter: The Eagles' best stretch came in the final 10 minutes, as FGCU held North Florida to just seven points and made the needed plays late. Douglas attacked the paint early with a pair of finishes to close the gap, and FGCU's pressure forced turnovers that flipped the floor. With the game tightening in the final minutes, Staton delivered the game-tying bucket to make it 49-49, setting up a frantic finish. Pillow then gave FGCU the lead with a tough finish inside, and the Eagles made it stand with stops and rebounds in the closing possessions. Douglas sealed it at the line with two free throws in the final minute, and FGCU finished the job with one last defensive stand to secure the 55-51 win. Douglas led the Eagles with 23 points, adding two assists and two steals, while Staton finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Pillow posted six points and six rebounds, and Lavy chipped in six points behind two three-pointers as FGCU earned the road victory.

Coach's Corner
Head Coach Raina Harmon - "We struggled mightily with getting our offense going in the first half. It's frustrating when we're shooting the ball well, but we didn't give ourselves many opportunities because we kept turning it over. Although it wasn't our best game by a long stretch, I thought the team did a tremendous job of setting the tempo defensively in the fourth quarter, which allowed us to get going downhill in transition."

What's Next
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.

To purchase tickets to any home FGCU game, please visit this link, or call (866) 342-8849.

To stay up-to-date on the Eagles, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at FGCU_WBB.
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