After the Eagles defeated the North Florida Ospreys on Wednesday, Feb. 12, they entered Saturday’s game looking to continue their momentum on Senior Night. With a 65-43 win, they extended their winning streak to 16.

FGCU started the game on a heater as the Eagles opened the game on a 13-0 run. This strong start set the tone for the rest of the game. A solid defensive performance in the quarter held Stetson scoreless until the last minute in the opening frame. The Eagles led the Hatters by a score of 18-4 at the end of the first quarter.

A baseline cut to the rim allowed senior guard Cerine Rolle to score a layup, which ignited another Eagles scoring run to open the second quarter. The Eagles outscored Stetson 21-7 in the through ten minutes for a 39-11 lead at the half.

FGCU shot 15-35 (42.9%) from the field and 6-17 (35.3%) from the three-point line through two quarters. Senior guard Dolly Cairns was among the nine seniors honored in the pregame ceremony. She recorded 13 of her team-leading 15 points, including three shots beyond the arc, in the first half.

“It’s a great feeling,” Cairns said. “Not just for myself and my family, but for my teammates and all the seniors on the team. To get everyone together to celebrate us and what we’ve been able to accomplish this year, it’s awesome.”

In the midst of what ended up being a 14-2 run with under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Emani Jefferson took the ball coast to coast to the rim for a tough and-one finish. The reigning ASUN Player of the Year had another well-rounded performance, scoring 10 points, recording six rebounds and five assists. Junior guard Cerine Rolle beat the buzzer with a layup to put the Eagles up 61-23 at the end of the third.

The Eagles 38-point lead shrunk to 22 as Stetson outscored FGCU 20-4 in the fourth quarter. However, Stetson’s late charge was all for nothing, as the Eagles’ early lead was enough of a buffer for a 65-43 win.

Through four quarters, FGCU shot 25-61 (41.0%) from the floor and 8-27 (29.6%) from the three-point line. The Eagles were relentless on the defensive end as they racked up 13 steals and held the Hatters to a season-low 43 points and a 16-61 (26.2%) shooting performance.

“We were locked into the game plan,” said Eagles coach Chelsea Lyles. “Everybody did their job and knew what we were trying to accomplish. It was a full team effort.”

FGCU will hit the road for an ASUN Conference Championship rematch against the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears on Thursday, Feb.20.