MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (February 3, 2024) - The St. Thomas University (STU) Women's Basketball team faced off against the College of Coastal Georgia Saturday afternoon in a heated competition. The match up officially kicked off the second round of Sun Conference play and the Bobcats' win secured their second-place spot in the conference.
The Mariners kicked off the first quarter in the lead, up four against the Bobcats. Marta Franco was able to put St. Thomas on the board with a made free throw. The Mariners remained in the lead until there were three minutes left in the quarter when the Bobcats took charge. St. Thomas led by five as the time ran out on quarter one with a score of 12-7.
The second quarter saw a similar battle. Madison Lippy entered the game off the bench and scored the first two points of the quarter. Brooke Bogatz scored four points in the quarter, contributing to her lead of seven in the first half. Sophie Vandyke and Paige McDonald also played key roles in the quarter, Vandyke notching two blocks and two rebounds and McDonald with one block and five rebounds. The Bobcats maintained their lead heading into halftime with 25-22 on the scoreboard.
The Mariners took the lead quickly after both teams returned to the court. There was a lot of back-and-forth throughout the third quarter, but the Bobcats wanted the lead. Camilla Flefil picked up six points, contributing to her total of 14. Coastal Georgia managed to outscore the Bobcats in the quarter 13-18. The Mariners held a two-point lead over the Bobcats with a score of 38-40 entering the final quarter.
The game was not over yet for the Bobcats. Flefil re-entered the game and quickly took charge, adding another six points to her tally. Franco also went on a strong run, putting up seven points of her own, finishing the game with 14. Franco and Flefil's drive put the Bobcats in the lead, St. Thomas ultimately emerging victorious with a final score of 57-53. This win brings the Bobcats' record of 16-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
Up next, the Bobcats will head to Florida Memorial University for round two of the Battle of Miami Gardens. The match up will take place on Wednesday, February 7th at 5:30 p.m.
-STU-
