FAU looked to close their home stand with a win as they welcomed UAB (11-6, 2-3 AAC) to the Burrow. In a series the Owls have struggled in they looked to add their fifth win against the Blazers. While a great third-quarter performance kept Florida Atlantic in the contest, UAB earned their 11th win as the Owls were shutout from winning during their most recent home stand.
First Half
Freshman Lovisa Asbrink Hose opened the game with a three from the top of the key. The Blazers bounced back thanks to a 9-2 run, taking an early 9-5 lead with 4:25 remaining in the first. At the media timeout it was 9-7 UAB. Over the final three minutes the offenses picked up rapidly as shots fell back and forth for both squads. The Blazers ended the quarter on a 8-2 run as they led 21-14.
The Owls cut the deficit down to four quickly in the second, but a layup from UAB’s Molly Moffitt kept the Blazers lead at six, 23-17 with 8:35 remaining in the half. Florida Atlantic kept cutting into the lead, but UAB found answers as they led 29-21 with 4:40 left in the first half. A Kristina Godfrey (video below) layup pulled the Owls within six once more, but a Blazers 8-0 run put UAB up 37-23 with 2:22 remaining in the half. The Blazers lead held at the half as FAU trailed 42-30.
UAB’s three-point shot was their strong suit in the first as they shot 8-of-21 from three while FAU was 2-of-9. The Owls were winning the turnover battle, but could not get anything going offensively from their earned possessions.
Second Half
The Owls jumped on UAB in the second half starting the third with an 11-2 run cutting the deficit down to just a three-point game. Another comeback was in store for Florida Atlantic as they trailed 44-41. UAB held on to their lead at the media break, 47-43 Blazers. UAB had a 13-3 run giving the Blazers another double-digit lead. A Stefanie Ingram (top picture, Angelina LaBelle) three put the contest within single digits, but UAB led 60-51 with only ten minutes left.
A Jada Moore (video below) jumper put the Owls within eight as they fought back into the game. The teams kept trading shots as UAB led by seven with 3:36 remaining. A Moore free throw cut the deficit to six as FAU looked to make it a one possession game again. With 1:58 remaining, Florida Atlantic called a timeout as they trailed 69-61. The Owls started fouling trying to convert off of missed Blazer free throws, but it was too little too late as FAU fell 73-61 to the Blazers.
FAU Stat Leaders
Stefani Ingram led the Owls with her total of 16 points, also a career high. The only other double-digit scorer was Perry with her total of 14. Asbrink Hose earned nine boards as FAU earned 40 as a team. Ingram also led the way in assists earning herself four as Florida Atlantic garnered eight.
Coaches Thoughts
Postgame, Head Coach Jennifer Sullivan shared her opinion about the loss in a brief statement, “Disappointing loss. I just didn’t feel like we were as connected as we should have been throughout that game, and they did a good job of taking advantage of it.”
Coach Sullivan also gave her thoughts about the halftime adjustments for FAU, “Honestly, no adjustment. We just challenged ourselves in there. You know, just hey, we got to wake up. We’ve got to turn up the intensity defensively. We wanted to look to share the basketball more offensively, because I think they did a good job of collapsing on drives, taking away what we like to do. But yeah, no, the third quarter was a very promising start coming out of the break.”
Look Ahead
Florida Atlantic (9-8, 1-3 AAC) will be on the road for their next two games as they face off against Tulsa (8-9, 2-3 AAC), and USF. Tulsa is coming off a two-point loss to Temple on Saturday. All time, the FAU Owls are 1-2 against the Golden Hurricanes falling most recently 81-72 in their bout last season. FAU is looking to improve many records in their upcoming contest, including their wins on the road. This season Florida Atlantic is 2-4 in true road contests. The biggest help for the Owls is going to be the three-point shot. This season Tulsa shoots worse than their opponents beyond the arc. Tipoff between the Owls and the Golden Hurricanes is scheduled for Wednesday Jan. 15, at 7:30 pm.
