Women’s Basketball Falls To Ranked FGCU In Weekend Florida Matchup

This weekend was a chance for the Lady Flames to banish some demons, beat ranked FGCU and move into the women’s basketball ASUN tournament on the front foot. Instead, FGCU’s status as Liberty’s bogeyman continued, with the Eagles sweep of Liberty March 5 and 6 leaving Head Coach Carey Green ruing what might have been. 

“When you’re playing a very good, nationally-ranked team that is on a 20-game winning streak, you have to be playing your A game,” Green said. “But you can’t fault the effort of these girls. I think this was a learning game, and we learned that we can play with this group.”

The Eagles came into this doubleheader on a scorching streak. They had not lost a game since Nov. 28, 2020, and are now ranked No. 24 in the nation – and they brought Liberty’s five-game winning streak to a screeching halt in Fort Myers, Florida. 

In the first game of the back-to-back series on Friday, the Lady Flames got off to a quick start. During the first quarter the Lady Flames bench scored 16 points and shot 66.7% from the field, giving them a seven-point lead with three quarters left to play. However, the tides began to turn later in the game and the Eagles would go on to win the game 80-60.

The turning point of this game occurred in the second quarter. The Eagles made four 3-point shots and shot 71.4% from the field. With the combination of the three-point shots and the Lady Flames turnovers, the Eagles outscored the Lady Flames 29-8, with FGCU junior Tyra Cox draining three 3-pointers in an 86-second span.

Powered by that run, the Eagles continued to dominate, holding their lead at double figures for the rest of the game.  

After the frustrating loss, Green said he wanted to slow down the Eagles offense in Saturday’s game – and he did just that. The Lady Flames tightened up their man defense and held the Eagles to a total of 65 points. 

But the Eagles are also a stalwart defensive side, forcing 19 turnovers and scoring 16 points off of them – and they held the Lady Flames to a season-low 50 points.

“We didn’t shoot a very good percentage from the field or from the 3-point line or from the free throw line,” Green said. “Shooting low percentages and turning the ball over are not a good combination. It is a recipe for disaster.”

As the ASUN tournament approaches, the Lady Flames could face the Eagles once again, continuing the championship rivalry the two teams have built since Liberty joined the ASUN. After the second loss to the Eagles, Green gave a little insight into what his game plan will be for the tournament.

“It is really simple. We’ll take a deep breath and relax. God made the Sabbath day for rest, so we will be taking (Sunday) off,” Green said. “Monday we’ll have a long workout, Tuesday will be long as well and then Wednesday we’ll prepare for our matchup. Three days of preparation.”

The ASUN Championship will take place March 10-14. The Kennesaw State University Convocation Center will serve as the host venue for the tournament. 

Emmanuel Adamson is a social Media Manager. Follow him on Twitter at @Eadamson12.