By Dick Allen
All that needs to be said is that 2,133 very unhappy FGCU fans filed out of Alico Arena in disbelief as Jacksonville erased a 13 point deficit with 4:46 remaining in the 3rd period and beat the Lady Eagles 56 – 54 qualifying the Dolphins for the NCAA Tournament.
Shooting a paltry 34.7 percent from the field, the Eagles held Jacksonville to 38.7 percent, and just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc while hitting 7 – 14 three pointers of their own, but they were badly outshot 62-49 and out rebounded 49 – 29. With only 2 tied scores, and 4 lead changes, the Eagles were in control for extended periods of time. But in the end their inability to score in the paint told the story.
Kaneisa Atwater led all scorers with 22 before fouling out in the fourth period. Whitney Knight had 17 points with a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe and 3-5 from beyond the arc. Leading scorer for Jacksonville was Brandi Buie with 16 points. Known for their deep, talented bench, FGCU found but 5 points from the reserves while the Dolphins bench added only 9 points as the starters from both teams carried the scoring load.
So, sadly, the NCAA tournament careers of 9 beloved Lady Eagle seniors comes to an unexpected end.
Perhaps Monday night will reveal a miracle, but most likely a NIT bid is in their future, and perhaps an opportunity to play before their adoring fans for one last time.