Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.- With head coach Jody Martinez attending a funeral for a friend in Indiana, the Fire needed senior captain Emma Loucks to step up to help the team.
Did she ever.
Loucks scored a career-high 29 points to help the Fire rally back from a nine-point first half deficit, and knock off Johnson & Wales 76-61.
"Emma was vital for us tonight," said assistant coach Rebekah Day, who guided the team in the absence of Martinez. "She was a big spark for us on defense as well; when she's playing tough on defense, it raises the level of play across the lineup."
Southeastern (19-5, 10-2 TSC) outscored Johnson & Wales 41-24 in the second half, and led by as many as 21 with 6:15 to play. They did the majority of their damage during an 18-2 run that spanned 5:23 and gave the Fire their 21-point lead. Ten of those 18 points came from Alyssa Ramos, which included a four-point play to give SEU a 71-50 lead.
"The key in the second half for us was to just play our game," said Day. "In the first half, we let Johnson & Wales dictate the tempo of the game."
The Fire used a 12-4 run in the first half to cut that nine-point lead to just one with 4:25 to go. A three-pointer by Loucks got the Fire within two (33-31) with 2:59 left. A technical foul against the Johnson & Wales bench put Carlie Newman on the free throw line for two shots, both of which she sank to tie the game at 33. A pair of free throws with 1:16 left in the half gave the guests a 37-35 lead at the break.
Bailey Hooker added 15 points and six rebounds in the winning effort. Ramos added 13 points and four assists.
The Fire return to action on Saturday when they travel to Northwood for a 1 p.m. start against the Seahawks.
