LAKELAND, Fla. - Prepped after an Iowa road trip, the Fire clashed against Webber International inside The Furnace. Tonight marked the Sun Conference opener for both teams and when the final horn sounded the Fire were crowned victors 92-53 over the Warriors.
Ana Richter followed up her career high 30 point game against Northwestern, with a 25 point performance tonight. The catalyst, Richter knocked down 77% of her shots, logged five rebounds, three steals, and three assists.
The first quarter of play was tightly contested. Although it appeared that the Fire were not on the same page early, Southeastern regrouped to end the first quarter on a 6-0 run. After that the Fire never looked back.
Haylee Printz proceeded to score 11 of 15 total points in the first half shooting a perfect 4-4 from the floor. The transfer from Toledo's vision was instrumental in the Fire's offensive plan. Printz recorded a team leading six assists. Printz's decision making and Ritcher's knockdown shooting widened the gap between the Warriors at halftime.
This season, the Fire have outscored opponents 253- 178 in the second half. The Fire improved that stat totalling 51 points compared to the Warriors 25 points in the second half of play.
Marlena Schmidt hosted the block party inside the paint for Southeastern. The 6'6 sophomore collected five blocks moving her total to 12 on the season.
Jaycee Coe complemented by Trisha Jacobs off the bench contributed quality play for the Fire. Coe ended the game with 13 points and three assists, while Jacobs tallied 10 points and four assists.
Webber International's Montrese Weller was the only visiting player to record double-digit points. Of Weller's 16 total shots, 15 came from beyond the arc. The junior guard collected a respectable 16 points.
All-in-all, the Fire added another reason to their resume as to why they are one of the top teams in the nation. Next up, the Fire will make the trip to take on county rival Warner University on Saturday. Tip-off set for 2 p.m.
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