The Florida Atlantic women’s basketball (0-1) lost on the road in their season opener against Mercer University Bears (1-1) 70-62 on Thursday night.
During the game’s first play, sophomore guard Aniya Hubbard stole the ball and made a quick layup, adding to her whopping 18 points in the first half. She ended the game by tying her career-high 28-points in the first game.
The Owls displayed impressive defense in the first half, leading in rebounds. They were constantly switching between man-to-man and zone defense.
Head coach Jennifer Sullivan explained that she places high emphasis on the team’s defense. She admitted it might not be as fun as offense, but it is essential and newcomers will have to learn that to earn a spot.
“I thought the third quarter really hurt us. We just couldn’t get stops, which became difficult for us and put more pressure on our offense to make plays. Besides that, [we] won every quarter,” said Sullivan.
During the third quarter, the Bears were fast in rebounding the ball and outscored the Owls 25-12, creating the largest lead of the game. Mercer stopped Hubbard’s momentum by restricting her to 10 points in the second half.
Graduate guard Rose Caverly scored her first points of the game by sinking a three pointer and sparked an 8-0 run for FAU after being down by 10 points.
Two missed 3-pointers by FAU in the last minute of the game sealed Mercer’s win.
“The free throw line is a killer. I thought we could have been in a really good spot if we could have hit our free throws,” said Sullivan. “I think it’s great for this team, on the road in a tough environment, to see where we are.”
The Owls will continue on the road to play the University of North Florida Ospreys (1-1) in Jacksonville on Monday, Nov. 13. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Megan Bruinsma is a staff writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email her at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @megan_bruinsma.
