FGCU pulls out OT win
Trailing by nine points, FGCU mounted a late-game comeback that led the Eagles to a 59-55 overtime victory at Jacksonville Wednesday night.
The Eagles (21-4, 9-0 A-Sun) took a quick lead out of the gate, but the Dolphins went on a 19-2 run to take the lead. JU controlled the game for the next 30 minutes
FGCU claimed a one-point lead with seven minutes to play, but Jacksonville built its advantage back to four points on a pivotal 3-pointer with five minutes to go. The teams traded empty possessions late in the game and FGCU still trailed 46-42 in the final minutes.
In the last 50 seconds of action, Whitney Knight grabbed a steal and took it to the other end for a layup, bringing the Eagles within two points. With 16 seconds on the clock, Kaneisha Atwater leapt in the air to steal an inbounds pass at the Eagles’ 3-point line. She quickly dished the ball to Knight who found a cutting Stephanie Haas who put up her signature scoop shot to tie the game at 46-46 and force overtime.
The Eagles scored the first four points of the extra period and quickly took an eight-point lead. The Eagles ultimately outscored the home team 13-9 in the final five minutes to earn its 38th-straight win against an A-Sun foe and 14th in a row overall this season.
The Eagles face a busy week ahead with another road swing to New Jersey for a 1 p.m. game at NJIT on Saturday and at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C., on Monday.