Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – In the last contest of the 2017 portion of the season, the No. 3 Southeastern University women's basketball team handled the No. 20 Saint Francis University Cougars 87-61 in The Furnace. The win marked the sixth for SEU versus a ranked or receiving votes opponent this season.
It did not take long for the Fire to build separation between themselves and the Cougars. The Fire closed out the final 6:24 of the first quarter on a 14-4 run to take a 24-10 lead into the second period of play.
The Fire constricted the Cougars with intense defensive pressure in the second quarter. SEU forced 11 Cougar turnovers and recorded seven steals in the period. Three of the seven swipes were recorded by junior guard Halee Printz, who posted a season high six steals on the day.
With 18 total steals versus USF, SEU has now stolen 17 or more balls in three straight games.
Southeastern led Saint Francis 47-26 at the half.
Senior guard Ana Richter opened up the first 20 minutes of action 8-10 from the field with 16 points scored. Richter has now reached double digits in the first half of five straight contests.
Senior small forward Anissa Toumi scored six of her 10 points in the third quarter, as the Fire continued to keep the Cougars at bay. Toumi was a dynamic presence off the bench, adding eight rebounds, eight assists, and a pair of blocks and steals to her stat line.
"I tried to work hard on the glass and offensively…It was a team effort. It wasn't just me showing out. We worked really well together," commented Toumi.
The Cougars were unable to cut the deficit to below 21 in the fourth quarter.
Richter totaled 27 points on the afternoon, notching her 11
th consecutive 20 point game.
Junior shooting guard Jaycee Coe and junior small forward Emma Karamovic were also key contributors, each tallying 17 points.
"I think the all-around team effort today is what we look for every day. We talk about being a faceless team, but it's also nice when players like Anissa step up and have big games," shared head coach
Tim Hays.
The Fire resume action and Sun Conference play in 2018 when they host Thomas on Thursday, January 4. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.
