If any ASUN women’s basketball team had a chance to challenge FGCU’s dominance, Central Arkansas looked like it could be that team.
The Sugar Bears were set to host the Eagles Thursday night on an 11-game home winning streak and in second place in the conference with a 13-1 record, second only to FGCU’s 14-0.
By the game’s end, a streak was extended, just not Central Arkansas’. The Eagles improved their win streak against ASUN opponents to 48 games, which dates back to Jan. 21, 2023, with a 95-71 win in Conway, Arkansas,
Bracketology: Where does FGCU women’s basketball rank in latest March Madness bracketology? What to know
“We had a lot of players step up and play well,” head coach Chelsea Lyles said. “Proud of the way they competed and executed the game plan.”
Thursday and provided a statement win to the rest of the conference, defeating the second-place Sugar Bears 95-71 to improve to 15-0 in league action.
FGCU scored the first seven points and made its first eight shot attempts en route to a 35-point first quarter. FGCU’s first miss of the game occurred at the line at the 5:36 mark, but Skyler Gill corralled the rebound to find Casey Santoro waiting for a knockdown three. Alahna Paige showed off her range with a trailing three, quieting the crowd for a 32-14 lead. At the end of one, FGCU led 35-20.
The Eagles led by as many as 20 in the second quarter but maintained its 15-point lead heading into halftime, 53-38. FGCU shot 67.9 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from three at the half.
FGCU began to wear down the Sugar Bears in the third. Khamari Mitchell-Steen intercepted a lazy pass for easy two, giving the Green and Blue a 22-point lead. Cerina Rolle finished an old-fashioned 3-point play as FGCU took a 66-48 lead with 1:55 to play in the period. The Eagles led 69-50 heading into the fourth, and the Sugar Bears would not draw any closer in the final 10 minutes.
Emani Jefferson finished with a team and game-high 20 points. Taylor had 17 points as four Eagles reached double-figures. Mitchell-Steen pitched in 13, and Paige added 12.
FGCU (24-3, 15-0) has a two-game lead over Central Arkansas (19-7, 13-2) in the ASUN regular season standings with just three games to play. The Eagles have won 17 straight and have won 14 of 15 conference games by more than 10 points.
FGCU travels to North Alabama (12-14, 7-8) on Saturday to face the Lions for the first time this season.
FGCU men’s basketball rallies past Stetson
Rory Stewart made a 3-pointer with 16 seconds to go to give FGCU men’s basketball team the lead for good, and the Eagles rallied from a four-point halftime deficit to knock off Stetson, 83-80, in an Atlantic Sun Conference matchup Thursday night at Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center in DeLand.
The win – the Eagles’ second straight after two straight road losses – keeps FGCU (16-13, 11-5) in a tie for third in the ASUN standings with two games left in the regular season. FGCU trails first-place Lipscomb (12-5) and North Alabama (12-5) by one game. Stetson fell to 7-22, 5-11 in the conference. The ASUN Tournament gets underway March 2 at campus sites.
Stetson’s last lead came at 80-78 when Jamie Phillips Jr. made a jumper and was fouled. He missed the subsequent free throw and on FGCU’s next possession, Stewart made a 3-pointer to put FGCU ahead, 81-80. It was Stewart’s only basket.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: ASUN leader FGCU flexes women’s basketball dominance over second-place Central Arkansas
