Women’s Basketball: FAU suffers heartbreaker behind game winner in San Antonio

Team drops season-high fifth straight loss

Owls%E2%80%99+guard+Nika+Zyryanova+%2833%29+sets+up+a+pick+while+teammate+Kat+Wright%0A%2813%29+dribbles+past+a+UAB+defender+during+the+Owls+67-62+loss+to+the+Blazers+on+Feb.+6.+Mohammed+F.+Emran+%7C+Staff+Photographer

Owls’ guard Nika Zyryanova (33) sets up a pick while teammate Kat Wright (13) dribbles past a UAB defender during the Owls’ 67-62 loss to the Blazers on Feb. 6. Mohammed F. Emran | Staff Photographer

Chris Libreros, Contributing Writer

The University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners won a thriller — 57-54 — against Florida Atlantic women’s basketball in San Antonio after senior forward Akunna Elonu hit a heartbreaking 3-point game winner with 2.6 seconds remaining.

Headed into Thursday’s matchup, the Owls (11-12, 3-9 C-USA) were looking to snap a four-game losing streak against UTSA (8-14, 4-8 C-USA). The Roadrunners snapped the Owls’ previous four-game losing streak just a week and a half ago.

UTSA had other plans for FAU in a back and forth defensive battle where both teams fought for every basket, shooting a combined 42-of-121.

Elonu had a career-high 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including the game winner at the end of regulation.

The Owls responded behind strong performances from senior Ali Gorrell and sophomore Sasha Cedeno, who combined for 38 of the team’s 54 points.

Cedeno finished with a career-high 18 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and making 5-of-8 from behind the arc.

Gorrell — who scored a team-high 20 points for the Owls — struggled late in the game, turning the ball over twice in the final two minutes of play.

FAU has lost nine of its previous 10 games and is in the midst of a five-game losing streak, its longest of the season.

The Owls will look to bounce back on Saturday, Feb. 13, against the Conference USA first place University of Texas at El Paso Miners (20-2, 11-1 C-USA).

Christopher Libreros is a contributing writer with the University Press. To contact him on this or other stories, he can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter