The FGCU women's basketball team (22-4, 13-0 A-SUN) used a 27-0 run in the first half to pull away from Lipscomb (3-23, 1-12 A-SUN) in an 80-46 win Tuesday in the Curb Event Center on the campus of Belmont University. With the win, the Eagles are now 25-0 against the Lady Bison.
In doing so, the Eagles clinched at least a share of the program's ninth A-SUN regular season championship. They can secure it outright along with the No. 1 seed in the A-SUN Championship with a win at home against Kennesaw State on Saturday.
"We really picked up the defensive intensity in the second quarter, and it allowed us to go on a nice run," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said.
Lipscomb led 15-11 with 3:09 left in the opening quarter, but redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan's 3-pointer spurred a 27-0 run that gave the Eagles a 38-15 lead with 2:08 left in the half. In all, FGCU's defense held the Bison scoreless for an 11:29 stretch.
In the second quarter alone, Lipscomb finished 1-for-7 from the field with nine turnovers while being outscored 26-4 by the Green and Blue. Offensively, the Eagles had more made field goals (8) from seven different players than the Bisons had attempts in those 10 minutes. Along with a nine-point third quarter, FGCU has now produced 18 single-digit quarters defensively in A-SUN play this year.
The outcome ran FGCU's winning streak to 13 straight, which is tied with Stephen F. Austin for the fourth-longest streak in the nation. It is also tied for the 10th-longest streak in program history.
After experiencing the program's worst two-game stretch in terms of 3-point field goal percentage (9-for-64, .141) of the Division-I era, FGCU made 15-for-49 (.306) from long range against Lipscomb. Nasrin Ulel (5-for-9) led eight different players to make at least one, while a trio of others made two apiece.
Redshirt senior Destiny Washington tallied a game-high 17 points while adding eight rebounds and a game-high four blocks. She finished 5-for-9 from the field, including a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter that gave her 1,000 points in her NCAA career. She became just the second player to join the 1,000 point, 600 rebound, 100 steal and 100 assist club while wearing the Green and Blue (Whitney Knight).
Ulel added 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. Junior Tytionia Adderly and redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles each had a game-high four assists, while redshirt sophomore Kerstie Phills had nine points and a season-high nine rebounds off the bench.
Overall, FGCU outscored Lipscomb 32-3 in points off turnovers and 15-2 in second chance points.
The Green and Blue, who are now 25-0 all-time against Lipscomb, have won 20 straight and 25 of the past 26 A-SUN regular season games dating back to last season. They need three more wins to clinch the program's ninth-straight 25-win season.
Notes:
Due to a power outage at Lipscomb University's Allen Arena, the game was moved to Belmont's Curb Event Center. It was the first time the Eagles have played in that arena since a 57-50 win over Belmont on Jan. 12, 2012.
FGCU is one of just eight teams across 32 NCAA Division-I conferences to have an undefeated slate in league play. Here's the full group:
UConn - American Athletic Conference
NC A&T - MEAC
FGCU - ASUN
Baylor - Big 12 Conference
Mercer - Southern
Stephen F. Austin - Southland
Rice - Conference USA
Quinnipiac - MAAC
Up Next:
The Eagles return home for a Saturday showdown as they welcome Kennesaw State (8-17, 4-8 A-SUN) as part of a doubleheader with the men. Game time will start at 4 pm.
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