Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – In their fourth consecutive conference victory, and sixth consecutive win since January 5th, the Fire bested the Night Hawks of Thomas University, 70-61.
A low scoring first half put the Fire up 28-21 at the buzzer, but, according to Coach Jody Martinez, the Fire's defense kept them alive.
"We had the lead which was amazing considering how poorly we shot, but it was our defensive intensity that kept us in the game."
The Fire came out hot the second half to the tune of an 18-6 run. It was fueled by six three-point buckets, half of which rolled off the fingers of leading scorer, Alyssa Ramos who had 25 points on the night.
Up 46-25 with 15:17 to play, their largest margin of the contest, the Fire maintained the lead and ended the half shooting 73% from beyond the arc over an unimpressive 27% in the first.
Following Ramos in double digits were Carlie Newman with 14 points, Bailey Hooker with 13, and Emma Loucks with 10. Newman was also a force on the boards, coming away with eight rebounds, while Ramos and Cassidy Block both had six.
"They were better in terms of rebounding because of their size and athletic ability, but overall, I thought we did a good job of making it a physical game," continued Martinez. "We found a way to win and we'll move our focus to Tuesday's game."
The Fire improve to 13-4 on the season, 5-1 in The Sun Conference, and prepare to take on Webber University on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Babson Park.
