Despite a career-high 24 points from graduate transfer Iggy Allen, the FAU Owls (1-2) fell to the Florida Gators (4-1), 88-76.

Fought until the very end. pic.twitter.com/Cz0nwzFAIR

— FAU Women’s Basketball (@FAUWBB) December 8, 2020

Allen came out the gates aggressive, taking shots, crashing the boards, and leading the fastbreak for the Owls, as she put in nine points and five rebounds to start the game.

That momentum wouldn’t last, as FAU was inefficient shooting the ball in the first quarter. The Owls shot 25 percent from the field on 5-20 shooting compared to UF’s 31 percent on 8-26 shooting.

The second quarter was all Gators. While the Owls continued missing shots, the Gators went on consecutive runs taking advantage of FAU’s poor shot selection, as they were up by 18 at one point. The Gators led by 15 at the half.

The Owls struggled shooting from the perimeter in the first half. After Allen made her first three to start the game, they would miss 11 consecutive three-point attempts until sophomore guard Allie Tylka made one at the end of the half.

FAU was able to recover from its offensive inconsistencies to start the second half with Allen leading the way. She scored seven points including her second three-pointer in the third quarter.

Although the Owls cut the lead to single digits during the third quarter, the Gators would score seven straight points to end the quarter remaining up 16 by a score of 67-51.

Defense became the Owls’ downfall. They could not keep up with the Gators’ offense, conceding open shots all over the court.

While FAU had its best offensive performance in the fourth quarter winning 25-21, the game was all but done with UF running away with it.

With her 24 points, Allen also finished with nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals to solidify herself as the team’s focal point to winning games. 

Redshirt sophomore forward Janeta Rozentale had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while Tylka and sophomore guard Tanyia Gordon combined for 22 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Owls.

Despite shooting cold in the first half, the Owls improved as the game went on. They ended the game shooting 43 percent on 29-67 shooting overall.

Perimeter shooting, however, was not their strong suit; while the Gators shot 29 percent from three, the Owls were abysmal, making only five of their 26 three-point attempts. 

The Gators cruised behind redshirt senior guard Kiara Smith, who led the way for them with a double-double, having 27 points and 11 rebounds on 8-16 shooting.

The Owls will be on break until Dec. 18, when they host Florida Memorial at 5 p.m. It will be broadcast on C-USA TV.

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