Leading by 10 late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles suffered their third loss of the season, as they were outscored 15-2 in the final minutes of the game.
With the Eagles down by three and an opportunity to tie the game, Rosemarie Julien’s three-point attempt did not fall. Chattanooga iced the game, making its last four shots from the free-throw line.
Coming off the bench for a second straight game, redshirt senior Jessica Cattani led the Eagles with a team-high 12 points.
The Eagles managed to shoot only 22.3 percent from the three-point line and under 40 percent from the field.
“I’m disappointed with our execution and the outcome of the game,” head coach Karl Smesko said. “It’s not easy to beat a good team on the road, but we were in a position to do that. We made some mistakes turning the ball over and fouling late in the game that gave them an opportunity to get back in it. And then they made the plays down the stretch to win it.”
Early on, it was a struggle for the road team who beat Chattanooga last season, as they fell behind quickly, 14-2. Erica Nelson and Lisa Zderadicka both hit shots late in the first quarter, and despite a rough start to the game, they only trailed by eight.
The Eagles trailed by as many as 11 in the second quarter, but FGCU scored 13 of the final 17 points to only trail by two midway through the game.
As the Eagles have done so often in Smesko, FGCU burst out to a quick 7-0 run for its first lead of the game.
Back to back threes in the fourth quarter brought the Eagles’ lead to 10, but they were unable to extend their four game winning streak and fell 68-61.
FGCU will head home for a matchup on Wednesday with the Eagles hosting Harvard at 7 p.m.