FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball team put together one of its cleanest and most explosive performances of the season on Thursday night at Alico Arena, cruising past Bellarmine, 79-40. The Eagles knocked down a season-high 13 three-pointers while committing a season-low nine turnovers, pairing sharp shot-making with constant defensive disruption to improve to 11-11 overall and 7-4 in the ASUN.
FGCU quickly took control with a dominant second quarter that held Bellarmine scoreless, then kept building the lead after halftime behind defensive pressure, clean ball movement, and a barrage of threes to pull away for the win.
RECORDS: Florida Gulf Coast 11-11, 7-4 ASUN | Bellarmine 2-22, 0-11 ASUN
SCORE: Florida Gulf Coast 79 | Bellarmine 40
LOCATION: Alico Arena | Fort Myers, Fla.
First Quarter: FGCU set the tone immediately when
Cerina Rolle buried a three-pointer on the opening possession, and the Eagles never let up from there. Rolle made another big impact moments later, jumping a passing lane for a steal and then dropping off a pass to
Karina Gordon for a layup in transition as FGCU pushed the pace early. The ball moved side-to-side for clean looks, and
Jordan Campbell gave the Eagles a boost with a three of her own as FGCU built separation behind timely perimeter shots and finishes at the rim. Even when Bellarmine answered with a couple threes, FGCU stayed composed, closed the quarter with strong execution, and carried a 21-17 lead after 10 minutes.
Second Quarter: The defense turned the game decisively in the second, as FGCU held Bellarmine scoreless in the period and stretched the margin with a steady stream of stops and quality possessions.
Sinai Douglas sparked the run with a three-pointer, and the Eagles continued to generate extra chances on the glass while taking care of the basketball.
Nay Staton powered through contact for an and-one, and Douglas added her second three of the quarter as FGCU's spacing and unselfishness opened up clean perimeter looks. The Eagles also turned pressure into points, forcing turnovers and converting them into quick offense as they took a 34-17 advantage into halftime.
Third Quarter: FGCU came out of the locker room with the same edge, continuing to win the hustle areas and keep Bellarmine out of rhythm.
Eve Alexander muscled in an and-one to highlight a strong stretch inside, and the Eagles' bench energy kept the tempo high.
Airah Lavy then delivered a burst that broke things open, drilling back-to-back three-pointers to ignite the crowd and push the lead further into comfortable territory. FGCU mixed in paint touches with kick-outs for threes, and the Eagles entered the fourth quarter up 54-29.
Fourth Quarter: The Eagles finished the night with their most productive quarter offensively, turning stops into transition opportunities and adding to the lead with crisp execution. Rolle found Gordon again, threading a pass for a layup to keep the ball movement flowing, and Lavy buried back-to-back threes for the second time in the game to punctuate FGCU's perimeter night. Campbell added another three in the fourth as the Eagles continued to share the ball, rebound, and play with pace through the final horn, closing out the 79-40 win.
FGCU finished with 24 assists on 30 made field goals while forcing 22 turnovers and scoring 34 points off those miscues. Lavy led the Eagles with 15 points, knocking down five three-pointers, while Staton added 12 points and six rebounds. Campbell chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and Douglas totaled nine points, seven assists, and no turnovers to help guide FGCU's efficient night on both ends. Rolle added six points, four assists, and three steals as the Eagles combined a season-best shooting display from deep with their lowest turnover total of the season.
Head Coach
Raina Harmon -
The Eagles remain home to host Jacksonville on Saturday, February 7, at 2:00 p.m. inside Alico Arena.
To purchase tickets to any home FGCU game, please visit this
link, or call (866) 342-8849.
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