Box Score (.pdf)

Fort Myers, Fla. – Kaneisha Atwater scored a game-high 15 points as Florida Gulf Coast limited the USC Upstate Spartans to 14 second half points en route to a 54-43 victory in Alico Arena on Saturday.

Florida Gulf Coast improves to 14-4 overall and 2-0 in the Atlantic Sun while USC Upstate falls to 10-7 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Brittany Starling posted her 10 double-double of the season as she scored a team-leading 13 points along with 10 rebounds. Raven Jefferson added 10 points. Brittany Clency had a season-high five assists.

Atwater scored 10 of her 15 points in the third quarter. Whitney Knight and Taylor Gradinjan each scored 12 points. DyTiesha Sunson led the Eagles with 10 rebounds.

Starling sank a jumper just outside of the paint followed by a pair of Kristen Dickerson free throws to give the Spartans an early 4-0 lead. The Eagles went on a 7-2 lead, taking the lead on an Atwater three-pointer at the 6:59 mark. Upstate retook the lead on a Clency jumper with 4:52 left and led 12-9 at the first quarter media timeout. Following an A'Lexxus Davis free throw that gave the Spartans a 15-11 lead with 1:28 to play in the first quarter, a Haley Laughter three-pointer cut the Spartan lead to 15-14. The Spartans led 16-14 at the end of the opening frame.

Layups from Tamera Thorpe and Starling gave the Spartans a 20-14 lead with 8:54 to play in the second quarter. FGCU went on a 10-0 run, taking the lead on a Knight three-pointer with 4:29 to play in the first half. Following a 1 minute, 16 second scoreless drought by both teams, Upstate pulled to within one on a Starling layup before taking a 27-26 lead on a pair of Jefferson free throws with 53 seconds remaining. Starling sank a jumper with 48 seconds remaining as the Spartans took a 29-26 lead into halftime as they closed the half on a 7-0 run.

FGCU opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run as they took a 35-31 lead on a Jamie Gluesing layup with 5:53 to play. A Jefferson bucket cut the Eagle lead to two before three-pointers by Gradinjan and Atwater pushed the FGCU lead to a game-high eight points, 41-33, with 2:46 to play in the quarter. Jefferson completed the old-fashioned three-point play to trim the FGCU lead to 41-36 before an Atwater layup sent the hosts into the fourth period with a 43-36 lead. FGCU outscored Upstate 17-7 in the quarter.

After a Dickerson layup cut the Eagle lead to 43-38 with 7:58 remaining, FGCU went on an 11-2 run to take a 54-40 lead with 3:40 to play. Haddock sank a pair of free throws with 3:15 to go before Starling scored the final point of the game on a free throw with 13 seconds remaining.

FGCU went 22-for-65 (33.8%) from the field while USC Upstate finished 15-for-52 (28.8) from the field. The Spartans were 10-for-29 (34.5%) in the first half and 5-for-23 (21.7%) in the second half. Upstate outrebounded FGCU 44-41.

USC Upstate concludes a three-game Atlantic Sun roadtrip on Monday against Stetson at 7 p.m.

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