Eagles Soar to Victory Over East Tennessee State, Clinch Perfect Weekend at FGCU Classic!

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball secured a hard-fought victory on Saturday over a previous Atlantic Sun Conference adversary, overcoming East Tennessee State 67-54 at Alico Arena.

“We had several defensive slip-ups, but overall I’m pleased to conclude the year with a tough victory to gear us up for the conference,” said first-year head coach Chelsea Lyles.

The two teams faced off for the first time since 2014, boasting a combined 29 ASUN Championships. The now Southern Conference Buccaneers seemed to pose little threat to the Eagles’ dynasty, yet FGCU (9-3) saw its 16-point lead shrink to just five in the final quarter. 

ETSU (8-6) outperformed the Eagles 19-12 in the third quarter and, with 8:10 left in the concluding period, had closed the gap to 55-50. Enter Khamari Mitchell-Steen as FGCU aimed to halt the decline. Mitchell-Steen rose to the occasion once again, completing her and-one opportunity to provide FGCU a pivotal eight-point lead. The resilient Buccaneers would not get any closer.

Lauryn Taylor and Casey Santoro soon united for a decisive blow at the 3:02 mark. Taylor denied a floater in the lane, and Santoro sunk a three-pointer in transition, extending the Eagles’ lead to a comfortable 15-point margin, 67-52. FGCU finished the game on a 12-2 surge to secure their 11th consecutive victory over ETSU.

In MTE events this season, FGCU achieved a flawless 6-0 record. The Eagles triumphed 2-0 at the Atlantic Slam in Canada and 2-0 hosting both the Homewood Suites Classic and the FGCU Classic after remaining at home for the entire month of December. Both North Carolina A&T and ETSU concluded the weekend in Fort Myers with a 1-1 record, while IU Indy went 0-2.

Emani Jefferson led the team with 18 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Jefferson finished just one rebound shy of a double-double performance. Mitchell-Steen contributed 11 points following her season-best 22-point outing on Friday against NC A&T. Kendall Folley scored a game-high 25 for ETSU.

The Eagles attained a 39-23 advantage at halftime, bolstered by a 27-point second quarter. FGCU connected on seven three-pointers in the first half, but did not score another until late in the fourth quarter. The Green and Blue wrapped up with 10 threes on Saturday and elevated to 8-0 this season when sinking eight or more trifectas. The FGCU bench added 18 points on Saturday.

Defensively, FGCU restricted ETSU to no points from their bench. The Eagles have limited 11 of their 12 opponents this season to 58 points or fewer. The Green and Blue feature one of the nation’s top scoring defenses, currently ranked 10th nationally by allowing just 52.3 points per game. In the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, the Eagles secured the 14th spot overall.

FGCU is now setting its sights on the New Year and ASUN competition. The Eagles will commence conference action at home on Thursday, Jan. 2 against Queens University of Charlotte. The matchup is slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+

 

Tickets are available starting at just $12 for general admission. Eagles fans can customize their own mini-plan with four-, six-, or nine-game packages beginning at $44. For further details on single-game and season tickets, kindly click here or contact the FGCU Ticket Office at 1-866-FGCU-TIX (866-324-8449).

 

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