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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Sarah Hansen scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Monday night as Florida Gulf Coast won its 16th consecutive game with a 68-53 victory at Northern Kentucky in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
Joyce Iamstrong added 16 points and seven rebounds for Florida Gulf Coast, which improved to 22-5 overall, 15-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Eagles – who started five guards - were 10-for-32 from 3-point range and snapped Northern Kentucky's four-game winning streak.
“Florida Gulf Coast caused us some matchup problems, and that showed,” NKU head coach
Dawn Plitzuweit said. “When we did some decent things defensively, they would get offensive rebounds on us. It certainly isn't from a lack of effort by our players. We struggled to score in the first half, and it was probably an ugly game at times, but our kids played extremely hard.
“This game was an opportunity for us to learn, grow and get better. Florida Gulf Coast is a very good basketball team and took advantage of some of the areas where we were not tough. We made some turnovers, and against a team like Florida Gulf Coast you have to take care of the basketball.”
Northern Kentucky stayed close to the visiting Eagles most of the first half despite shooting 24 percent from the field and turning the ball over 13 times. Florida Gulf Coast, however, closed the half with a 15-5 run to take a 27-17 lead into the locker room.
The Eagles held that 10-point lead even though they had shot just 28.6 percent from the field during the opening 20 minutes of play.
Florida Gulf Coast opened the second half with a 13-6 spurt to build a 40-23 advantage when Iamstrong buried a 3-pointer with 16:06 left in the game. The Eagles led by as many as 19 points and improved to 2-0 all-time against the Norse.
Tiara Hopper scored 18 points to lead Northern Kentucky (11-12 overall, 8-6 A-Sun). Hopper also grabbed nine rebounds, six of those on the offensive glass.
Ellen Holton and
Rianna Gayheart each scored 10 points, while
Kayla Thacker pulled down 10 rebounds for the Norse.
Gayheart added six rebounds and three steals, while Thacker blocked a pair of shots. The Norse shot 48.3 percent from the field in the second half and finished at 37 percent for the game.
Florida Gulf Coast has now won 33 consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season games and is trying to secure its second straight unbeaten campaign in the league. The Eagles finished 18-0 in the A-Sun last season.
Florida Gulf Coast's last regular-season A-Sun loss was at USC Upstate, 75-74, on Feb. 28, 2011. Counting last season's A-Sun Tournament, the Eagles have won their past 36 games against A-Sun foes.
Northern Kentucky hits the road next week for games at Mercer (Saturday) and Kennesaw State (Monday).
NORSE NOTES: Northern Kentucky senior guard
Jaimie Hamlet drained a 3-pointer in the second half, giving her 99 career treys and tying her with Heather Livingstone for eighth place on the Norse all-time list in that category . . . Northern Kentucky is now 59-10 all-time in The Bank of Kentucky Center, including 7-3 this season . . . Norse junior guard
Kayla Thacker grabbed double-figure rebound totals (10) for the second straight game. She hauled in a career-high 12 boards Saturday against Stetson.
