FGCU returns to NCAA Tournament for 11th time in 14 years, secures ninth straight ASUN title
As chants of "MVP" came from the FGCU student section, Emani Jefferson knew her job had been done. And her team's.
"We're gonna win," a confident Jefferson said after FGCU's win over Eastern Kentucky in the ASUN Semifinals, referring to Saturday's ASUN title game against Central Arkansas.
The two-time ASUN Player of the Year and two-time ASUN Tournament MVP let her play back up her talking, leading the Eagles to a 68-51 win over the Sugar Bears and helping the program secure its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 seasons.
"It feels amazing," Jefferson said. "I wouldn't be here without my teammates. I just want to say, thank you to my teammates for always building that confidence within me. They've been together."
Jefferson led the Eagles with 15 points, adding 7 rebounds and 4 assists, all of which were team highs or tied for team highs. Dolly Cairns and Khamari Mitchell-Steen each added 10 points, while Lauryn Taylor (9 points), Skyler Gill (8 points), and Alahna Paige (8 points) each made their respective contributions.
"It's everything I dreamed of," Taylor said. "This is what I came to FGCU for. I'm just super grateful now that I got to do it with this team, with coach Lyles, regardless of the adversity. We're here. We're champions now. They thought it was a down year, but it (resulted in) the same thing."
Early on, FGCU (30-3) got caught in another slow start, leading 16-12 after one quarter of action. As the second quarter progressed, the Sugar Bears (23-9) continued to turn the ball over, committing 12 at halftime before finishing with 22 for the game.
With the game still in reach midway through the second quarter, Central Arkansas coach Tony Kemper received a technical foul, taking a timeout to berate the officiating crew after officials initially called a foul on a Mitchell-Steen drive. The crew shortly reversed it to continuation, with it resulting in an and-1 opportunity.
FGCU's lead entered double figures for the first time in the afternoon and stayed there for the duration, as the Sugar Bears trailed by as many as 21 midway through the third quarter as Cairns, Gill, and Kaelyn Flowers started to heat up. The pressure remained on Central Arkansas to mount a comeback, which it did after a quick 8-0 run to get within 45-32, but never got any closer.
"I think we did pretty well in the first half," FGCU coach Chelsea Lyles said. "The second half probably wasn't our best, but we hit some shots to keep that lead... We'll celebrate this one today and try to clean some things up before we go to the tournament.
"It feels really good, seeing them all celebrate and accomplish one of their goals. It's a coach's dream. I'm really happy for them. Now they get to all dance, and hopefully get a good matchup and we can see what we can do in the tournament."
During the postgame ceremonies, longtime FGCU coach Karl Smesko, who stepped down two games into the season to take the head coaching job with the WNBA's Atlanta Dream, emerged in his traditional blue plaid button-up shirt, an outfit that was an ASUN Championship tradition during his time in Fort Myers. Smesko shared an embrace with Lyles as those who stayed took in the moment.
"Today's stress levels were a little bit more than as an assistant coach," Lyles said. "But, I can't sit here and not give credit to coach Smesko for everything he has taught me, for believing in me. I'm just grateful for him."
Regardless of the opponent, the Eagles will aim to advance to the Round of 32 for the fifth time. Last season ended in the Round of 64 to Oklahoma, as a last-second shot from distance rimmed out.
"We're gonna celebrate today," Taylor. "This is something we worked for. We're gonna look to enjoy this the rest of this week, and we'll go back to game planning and prepping for the next game. Then we're gonna lock in and try to win another one."
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: FGCU dominates Central Arkansas, returns to NCAA Tournament with 68-51 win
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