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FGCU's Furious Second-Half Comeback Falls Short in 69-64 Loss to NC State
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| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC State | 38 | 31 | 69 |
| Florida Gulf Coast | 26 | 38 | 64 |
| Stats at a Glance | ST | FGCU |
|---|---|---|
| FG Percentage | .413 (26-63) | .481 (26-54) |
| 3P FG Percentage | .278 (5-18) | .286 (6-21) |
| FT Percentage | .706 (12-17) | .500 (6-12) |
| Offensive Rebounds | 15 | 8 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 21 | 22 |
| Total Rebounds | 36 | 30 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 20 |
| Steals | 10 | 8 |
| Bench Points | 14 | 32 |
| Statistical Leaders | ST | FGCU |
|---|---|---|
| Points | Marissa Kastanek
- 22 | GRIFFIN
- 19 |
| Rebounds | Bonae Holston
- 10 | JACKSON
- 7 |
| Assists | Bonae Holston
- 5 | KNIGHT
- 5 |
| Steals | Marissa Kastanek
- 3 Emili Tasler - 3 M. Goodwin-Coleman - 3 | HANSEN
- 3 |
| Blocks | Bonae Holston
- 1 Kody Burke - 1 | KNIGHT
- 1 |
HONOLULU, Hawai'i - Senior Eglah Griffin (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS/Seminole CC) scored a team-high 19 points as the FGCU women's basketball team mounted a furious second-half comeback effort but fell to ACC foe NC State, 69-64, Wednesday night in Honolulu, Hawaii in the first game of the Rainbow Wahine Invitational.
With the loss, FGCU falls to 8-2 overall, while the Wolfpack improve to 8-3 on the season. The Eagles are now 2-5 all-time against the ACC.
The Eagles, who lead the nation in three-point field goals per game (12.5), knocked down just 6-of-21 shots from behind the arc and now have 125 triples as a team. Three different players made at least one trey for the Green and Blue, led by Griffin’s 4-of-5 night.
Griffin led the Eagles with 19 points and three rebounds in 28 minutes. . Senior Nicoya Jackson (Houston, Texas/Cypress Springs HS/Southwestern Christian) chipped in with 13 points and seven boards. Sarah Hansen (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane HS) finished with nine points, four rebounds and three steals.
Kastanek led NC State with a game-high 22 points, while Kody Burke added 17 points for the Wolfpack.
After erasing a 17-point second-half cushion, FGCU allowed NC State to score the final five points of the game, including a mid-court steal and fast break layup from Marissa Kastanek with 1:10 left in the game that wound up being the game’s deciding basket.
The Wolfpack grabbed a 46-29 lead at the 17:27 mark of the second half, after coming out of intermission with a 12-point advantage.
The Green and Blue, who have knocked off a pair of BCS schools in Michigan State and Virginia Tech this season, answered with a 29-9 run to take a 58-55 lead with just 4:04 to play.
FGCU increased their lead to four points, 61-57, after Griffin drained a three-pointer with just 3:22 left in regulation.
NC State responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead at 64-61 (1:51).
The active NCAA leader and A-Sun all-time leader in career three-pointers made (276), Kelsey Jacobson (Barnesville, Minn./Moorhead HS) was held without a point until she drilled a triple with 1:37 remaining to tie the game at 64-64 with just 1:37 remaining.
After a Wolfpack turnover, Kastanek jumped the passing lane and stole a Courtney Chihil (Tipp City, Ohio/Alter HS) pass at mid-court and went untouched for the game-winning bucket.
The Eagles are back in action on Thursday, December 29 when they take on tournament host Hawai’i on the second day of the Rainbow Wahine Invitational. Tip-off is set for 11 p.m. ET.
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