GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Santa Fe women's basketball hosted Florida State College at Jacksonville on Wednesday evening, and used a strong second half to wrap up their first Central Conference victory, 65-56, while snapping a three-game skid.

First Quarter – SF 10, FSCJ 6

Neither team was able to find much offensive rhythm against disruptive defense in the early going, but Lauren Carmona had a three-pointer to first get the Saints on the scoreboard.

The quarter featured three lead changes, and the largest lead of the frame would prove to be SF's 10-6 advantage at the conclusion of the first ten minutes of play.

Second Quarter – FSCJ 20, SF 19

Both sides continued to be aggressive, making their way to the free-throw line for the majority of the offensive production.

The Blue Wave gained a slim lead, 20-17, nearing the end of the half. Zoé Alexander, however, had a tough basket inside in the final seconds to send the teams into the break.  

Third Quarter – SF 41, FSCJ 38

The game was tied at 24-24 when FSCJ started a 7-0 surge to force a SF timeout.

The Saints formulated a convincing response with ten unanswered points to regain the lead, 34-31. Carmona's second three-pointer of the game capped off the stretch of play.

Santa Fe's run would eventually extend to 17-2, when Kelli Cunningham's triple after an offensive rebound handed the Saints a 41-33 lead.

The final five points of the third quarter went to the Blue Wave, but SF went into the fourth holding the three-point lead.

Fourth Quarter – SF 65, FSCJ 56

The Blue Wave netted the frame's first four points to seize a 42-41 lead.

SF proceeded to start a game-changing, 11-0 run, highlighted by three trifectas, two from Cunningham and one from Taniah Bowers. Cunningham's three-pointer gave SF their first double-digit lead of the game, 52-42, with a little over five minutes to play.

The Blue Wave brought themselves to within six points of SF on two occasions. With the Saints leading 56-60 with about three minutes on the clock, Cunningham and Bowers sunk back-to-back three-pointers, and Carla Soto added one of her own moments later for the final dagger in the 65-56 victory.

Key Statistics

Four players notched double-figure scoring, led by 16 from Jasani Buchanan. Buchanan recorded her third consecutive double-double, snagging a career-high 13 rebounds. Cunningham finished with 15 points, which included four three-pointers in the second half.

Bowers and Alexander each produced 12 points, with all 12 of Bowers' tally coming during the final 20 minutes of play.

Carmona contributed seven points and a career-high rebounding mark of 14 before fouling out of the game early in the fourth quarter.  

Coach Stebbins' Take

"I am really happy for what was a good team win, with contributions from a lot of different players," said Head Coach Chanda Stebbins.

"Our rebounding and boxing out tonight was much better, and defensively, holding them to 20 points in the opening half kept us in the game despite a slow start offensively."

Up Next

The Saints will travel to play Daytona State for the second time this week. The two teams will meet on Saturday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m. The Falcons won the previous matchup, 75-67 at Santa Fe on Monday, March 1.