Florida Atlantic women’s basketball (8-9, 2-3 in AC) returns to its home court after being on the road for nearly two weeks, winning against the Wichita State Shockers (3-15, 0-5 in AC), 88-64.
The Owls move to 2-3 against the Wichita State Shockers all-time, gaining their first home win against Wichita State. The Owls also moved to 2-3 in the American Conference.
“We shot exceptionally well, and we’ve just been coming together as a team a lot lately and are really excited to have our second win in the American,” head coach LeAnn Freeland said in the postgame press conference. “As we go into the rest of the conference play. Well, I think one thing that we have that some teams don’t have is team chemistry.”
The Owls went up 19-8 early, but eventually slowed down after a hot start. It was still enough to defeat the Shockers, breaking their five-game home losing streak.
The Owls had a strong start and went 7-9 from the field in the first seven minutes of the game. Guard Michiyah Simmons dished out an assist to guard Madi Gerwitz for a corner three as the team hit 4-6 shots from beyond the arc.
The Owls took an eight-point lead to end the first quarter, 22-14.
Guard Grace Carstensen and Gerwitz hit four straight 3-pointers in the second quarter to extend Florida Atlantic’s lead to 20 with about three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Heading into halftime, the Owls extended their lead to 45-25 and finished the half with six of their last seven shots.
The Owls extend their lead 45-25 to end the second quarter, 45-25.
The Owls’ offense slowed down but remained efficient, finishing 9-17 from the field.
The Owls’ defense was stifling all game, especially in the third quarter, where the Shockers were 6-16 from the field and the Owls grew their lead.
“That’s what really got me going, hitting the back-to-back threes and knowing that the person in front of me can’t really guard me,” Simmons said, having a season-high 17 points against the Shockers.
Simmons had her own 8-0 run in the third quarter, helping the Owls to a 67-43 lead to end the quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the game grew a little sloppy, especially for the Owls. The Ows started to consistently miss shots, and the Shockers cut the lead to 15 with 6:15 left to go in the fourth quarter. Finally, the Owls broke free from that drought after a 3-pointer from guard Zahira Arizmendi.
The game’s pace slowed down in the fourth quarter, with both the Owls and Shockers committing six fouls. However, it was the Owls who put on the finishing touches, making seven of their last eight shots to end the game.
The Owls move to 8-9, and defeat Wichita State, 88-64
The Owls will remain at home to face the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Roadrunners on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Anthony Ortiz is a Reporter for the University Press. Email him at ajangus1331@gmail or DM on Instagram @ajortiz_38 for more information on these and other stories.
