FAU women’s basketball (1-0) began their season with a 79-62 win against the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats (0-2) on the road at Daytona Beach, Fla.

The game was originally set to begin on Nov. 10 before its postponement to Monday evening due to Hurricane Nicole.

FAU outscored Bethune-Cookman 15-13 in the first quarter. Despite the close gap, the Owls were more accurate in their shot selection with a shooting efficiency of 46.7% compared to the Wildcats’ 35.7%. Freshman center Dyllan Hanna and redshirt senior forward Janeta Rozentale combined for 12 of FAU’s 15 points.

The Owls continued to expand their lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 25-19. They used the perimeter game to their advantage, knocking down four three-pointers in the process to go up 40-29 at halftime.

FAU lost the third quarter by three points. The team shot 26.7% on 15 shot attempts, allowing Bethune-Cookman to cut the lead to 53-45.

As the Wildcats tried to keep the game close in the fourth quarter, the Owls pulled away with offensive prowess. They converted nine of their 14 shots for 26 points, and made Bethune-Cookman struggle offensively by having them shoot 21.4% from the field.

Five Owls scored in double-figures when the final buzzer sounded. Hanna and redshirt junior guard Joiya Maddox finished with 13 points each, junior guard Devyn Scott and freshman guard Aniya Hubbard had 12 points each, and Rozentale put up 11 points. 

Graduate guard Chanel Wilson led Bethune-Cookman in scoring with 19 points on 6-18 shooting from the field. Senior guard Morgan Beacham followed with 13 points on 2-13 shooting, while junior forward Nia Jordan ended the game with 11 points.

The Owls will continue their two-game road trip with a stop in Coral Gables, facing the University of Miami on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

Richard Pereira is the News Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @Rich26Pereira