Villanova, PA- #12 seed FGCU (33-3) defeated #5 seed Washington State University (23-11), 74-63, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Saturday afternoon, from Finneran Pavilion.
Stats (#12 FGCU):
#12 FGCU shot 55.6% (30/54) from the field, 35.7% (5/14) from beyond the arc, and were outrebounded 32-27 by the Cougars. The Eagles dished out 11 assists, had 7 steals, and 1 block in the game. #12 FGCU forced 14 WSU team turnovers, while having 9 team turnovers of their own.
Stats (#5 WSU):
#5 WSU shot 38.9% (21/54) from the field, 26.9% (7/26) from beyond the arc, and outrebounded FGCU 32-27. The Cougars dished out 13 assists, had 0 steals, and 2 blocks in the game. #5 WSU forced 9 FGCU team turnovers, while having 14 team turnovers of their own.
Outstanding Players (#12 FGCU):
Sha Carter 24 pts, 6 reb
TK Morehouse 16 pts, 3 reb
Kierra “Keke” Adams 12 pts
Outstanding Players (#5 WSU):
Tara Wallack 16 pts, 12 reb
Johanna Teder 11 pts, 2 reb
Bella Murkekatete 10 pts, 3 reb
Overview:
Don’t call this game an upset! This Eagles team has won 15 games in a row, and has accomplished so much already this season. The Cougars were on a roll of their own too, winning the PAC-12 Championship, but ultimately fell short vs the Eagles. Sha Carter led the Eagles, scoring a game high 24 points, and the ALL-ASUN 1st Team member took over this game for #12 FGCU. TK Morehouse (16 points), Kierra Adams (12 points), and Maddie Antenucci (11 points), all scored in double figures for the Eagles.
#5 Washington State was led offensively by Tara Wallack who had a double-double, scoring 16 points, while grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. Johanna Teder (11 points), and Bella Murkekatete (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Cougars.
The Eagles held WSU’s leading scorer Charlisse Leger-Walker to 5 points in the game, and she fouled out of the game also. The key moment in this game was when Maddie Antenucci got hot from beyond the arc, hitting 3 key three point field goals for FGCU, on a night where the Cougars defense was stifling, and the Eagles had to rely on driving to the basket, over raining threes. Keke Adams had a huge game in the post, scoring her 12 points in 13 minutes, and was a huge boost for the Eagles. The 30 point 3rd Quarter for FGCU was the point where the Eagles pulled away in this game, and the athleticism of FGCU was evident, as they were faster to the ball, and played more like a 5 seed than the 12 seed the NCAA Selection Committee rewarded them for the second year in a row. Just like last year, FGCU prevailed as a 12 seed over the 5 seed, and we can’t wait to see how the Eagles look in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament.
What’s Next:
#12 seed FGCU (33-3) faces #4 Villanova University (29-6), Monday at 7 PM, from the Finneran Pavilion, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Eagles Nest Cast 
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