Lee Today

Raining 3s isn't just a catchy mantra; it is a way of life for the FGCU women's basketball team. 

The 25th-ranked Eagles needed every 3-pointer they could get Sunday – hitting 10 treys and outscoring San Diego 21-13 in the fourth quarter en route to a 68-60 win in the 2022 Bank of Hawaii Classic. FGCU (4-0) has held all four of its opponents this season under 63 points

"This was a good challenge for us," said FGCU women's basketball coach Karl Smesko. "San Diego was tough, and we needed a great fourth quarter to win." 

Junior guard Alyza Winston (Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon HS/Mississippi State) led all scorers with 19 points, including three 3-pointers. Graduate guard Tishara Morehouse (Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King HS/Nebraska CC) pumped in two 3-pointers en route to 15 points and grabbed five rebounds.  

Graduate guard Emma List (Colorado Springs, Colo./Discovery Canyon Campus/Albany), fifth-year guard Kaela Webb (Pontiac, Mich./Detroit Country Day HS/Detroit Mercy/Providence), and senior forward Uju Ezeudu (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg HS/Denver) each added eight points for the Eagles. Fifth-year guard Sophia Stiles (Malta, Mont./Malta HS/Montana) led the Green & Blue with three assists. FGCU went 2-0 in the 2022 Bank of Hawaii Classic after downing Hawai'i 65-45 on Friday.

"Alyza had some big baskets in the fourth quarter and K made some great plays down the stretch. And Emma was tough as usual," Smesko said. 

Early on, it looked like FGCU (4-0) would dominate San Diego – leaping out to an early lead via an 11-1 game-opening run. The Eagles extended their advantage to double digits via a Winston 3-pointer with 2:16 remaining in the first quarter.  

The Eagles went up 12 early in the second quarter, but San Diego caught fire – erasing the last of it with a Kiera Oakry triple at the 2:59 mark and then relinquishing the lead via a Jess Finney 3 with 44 seconds to go in the half to cap a 22-10 quarter. 

Trailing at halftime for the first time this season, FGCU came out of the break ready to erase San Diego's lead by leaning on what it does best. List canned two 3s – the second one giving the Eagles a 39-36 edge – and Stiles hit from deep to make it 42-41. Morehouse also hit a trey late in the quarter to make it 47-47. 

It remained a one-possession game deep into the fourth quarter before an Eagles burst put away the Toreros for good. Webb drained a 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining to make it 62-57, then corralled a steal that made its way to Morehouse for a layup and a 64-57 margin with 2:19 to go.  

FGCU made two straight stops on defense, then fed Winston for an inside bucket with 46 seconds remaining for a 66-57 lead. From there, San Diego cut the margin to six points, but Webb secured the victory with two free throws so the Eagles could head into a short Thanksgiving break with their perfect record intact. 

Myah Pace led San Diego (3-2) with 16 points, and Okry added 12. 

FGCU will spend Thanksgiving week in Hawai'i before the first game of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown vs. No. 2 Stanford on Friday, Nov. 25, at 5 p.m. ET. The Eagles play three games in their next tournament vs. the Cardinal, Hawai'i (Nov. 26), and Grambling State (Nov. 27). 

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS, MINI PLANS AVAILABLE  
Tickets for the 2022-23 FGCU Basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased by going online to www.FGCUTickets.com or calling 866-FGCU-TIX. Group tickets can also be purchased for 10 or more people – making a memorable evening for families, businesses, or other organizations.  

Original source can be found here.