FORT MYERS, Fla. - Sunday's ASUN Championship Quarterfinals contest at No. 22 FGCU (27-2) was a game dictated by offensive runs, and in the end it was the Eagles' 14-0 clip in the third quarter that proved to be the difference as North Florida women's basketball (13-17) bowed out of the postseason with a 71-60 loss March 6.
Down 39-34 at the 6:39 mark in the third quarter,
Nubia Benedith converted the traditional three-point play and
Summah Evans made a layup seconds later, tying the game up. That's when FGCU went on its game-high run, pulling away and staying ahead for the rest of the game.
UNF would not get back within a double-digit deficit the rest of the way, despite playing one of the best scoring teams in the nation very close through the first 25 minutes.
Jaida Bond and
Emma Broermann paced the way offensively for the Ospreys. The duo scored 16 points respectively, with Broermann finishing one rebound short of a double-double.
Jazz Bond pocketed another 10 points, while blocking three shots.
Another big difference in the game was the turnover margin, as UNF committed 18 to just five from the hosts. FGCU's Kendall Spray and Kierstan Bell combined to score 46 of FGCU's 71 points.
FGCU 71, UNF 60
Beyond the Box Score
- First Quarter: Down 16-5, a 12-0 run over a 2:10 span gave the Ospreys a 17-16 lead in the first quarter … FGCU made a pair of buckets in the paint to lead, 20-17, at the end of the first frame … all three of the game's lead changes occurred in the first quarter.
- Second Quarter: Nubia Benedith made the first shot of the quarter, but FGCU rattled off its own 12-0 sequence to take a 32-19 lead … once again, it was a scoring run that turned the momentum … Broermann made a pair of shots and Rhetta Moore added another, cutting the deficit to 32-26 at the half.
- Third Quarter: After a slow-scoring second quarter, the two teams began to find the bottom of the cup in the third … UNF hung blow for blow before a 5-0 run tied the game 39-39 with 6:39 to go … over the next three minutes and 16 seconds, FGCU went on a 14-0 run, pulling ahead by 14 and eventually 10 at the end of three.
- Fourth Quarter: UNF shot 40 percent from the floor in the fourth and Jaida Bond tallied eight points alone in the frame, but it was too late as FGCU hung on.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
#22 FGCU
- Kendall Spray | 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
- Kierstan Bell | 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks 3 steals
- Tishara Morehouse | 14 points, 7 assists, 3 steals
Notes
- Jaida Bond registered her fourth double-digit point scoring outing against ASUN foes this season. She finished a point shy of her season-best 18.
- Bendith's 24 minutes played was her most in ASUN play all season.
- Jazz Bond finishes her career with 1,584 points, the second-most in the UNF DI-era.
- Rhetta Moore concludes her UNF career with 152 three-pointers, the fourth-most in UNF history.
- Jazz Bond is just ahead of Moore, finishing with 164 treys, the third-most in UNF history.
- It was UNF's 20th game at FGCU.
- UNF finished with program single season-records for three-point field goals attempted, blocks, free throw percentage and blocks/game.
