By BILL LEVY
There is a good chance that Lehigh Acres Gazette owner/editor Robert Anderson could not have picked a better game to sponsor, than the game his publication sponsored on Thursday night. Behind a career high 16 points from Katie Meador, FGCU rolled past Jacksonville 58-39 before 2,011 at the Alico Arena. Kaneisha Atwater also had 16 for the Eagles and Whitney Knight was also in double figures for FGU with 11.
This was the first ASun loss for Jacksonville who is now 14-8 overall and 6-1 in the conference. FGCU meanwhile remains unbeaten in ASun play at 7-0 and is 14-8 overall.
It was the third time FGCU held an opponent to under 40 points this season.
“Our defense was excellent,” Eagles coach Karl Smesko said. “It was a whole team effort of everyone doing their job. Everyone understood the game plan.”
FGCU actually fell behind 4-0 near the start of the game, but tied it on Knight’s four point play as she was fouled, while connecting on a 3-pointer. That was the start of a 12-0 run as the Eagles took a 12-4 lead. They then closed out the first quarter with a 16-10 advantage and outscored the Dolphins 13-6 in the second quarter to take a commanding 29-16 lead into halftime, as well as complete control of the game, with Meador getting 13 of her points in the first 20 minutes.
“The game was an emotional game for me,” Meador said. “The last time we played them, I tore my ACL. Maybe that had something to do with it (getting her career high).”
She sad though she was more concerned though with how her team was performing.
“I was not real focused on me,” Meador said. “I was more focused on the team.”
Smesko however was happy to talk about Meador and her contributions.
“Katie Meador gave us a big lift,” he said. “She had an outstanding game, especially in the first half. She has played better in practice, and that is translating to the floor (during games).”
While many may have been surprised with the ease that it appeared FGCU had in beating the Dolphins, Atwater said Jacksonville was a very formidable opponent that the Eagles looked forward to playing.
“It is always good to play a team of their caliber,” she said. “They have a lot of great girls. We did not underestimate them at all.”
Nor did Anderson, when he selected this game for the Lehigh Acres Gazette to sponsor.
NOTES: In a ceremony before the game, Anderson was presented a ball on the court by FGCU officials as an acknowledgement of the sponsorship.
