LAKELAND, Fla. – To kick off the Sun Conference Tournament, Southeastern defeated Warner University 92-57 after battling a strong first quarter from the Royals offense. At the end of the first quarter, the game was tied 19-19, but the Fire outscored Warner 27-11 in the second, giving them a 16-point lead at the half.
Warner knocked down some quick baskets and hit a few open threes early on, forcing SEU to make an adjustment defensively. After matching up man-to-man with the Royals in the second-quarter,
Haley Howarth grabbed a pair of steals to give her team momentum.
The momentum kick from Howarth helped Southeastern pull away, by outscoring Warner 27-11 in the second quarter to lead 46-30 at halftime. The Fire continued to stretch the lead throughout the game, outscoring the Royals 25-10 in the fourth quarter.
Southeastern shot 41% from the field, 35% from three-point range, and 85% from the foul line, making 17 of their 20 free throws.
Collectively, Southeastern had 22 assists throughout the game. They forced the Royals into 22 turnovers, giving the Fire 27 points off of turnovers alone.
Haley Howarth finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Her energy offensively and defensively gave the Fire a boost throughout the game.
Southeastern had two more players finish with double-doubles.
Gabrielle Ozoude put up 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while
Bekki Kalaydjiev had 18 points and 10 assists.
Shae Routt was a spark on the bench for the Fire, scoring nine points and pulling down six rebounds.
After sealing the quarterfinal game this evening, the Fire is back in action in the semifinals this Friday at the Furnace. They will face Keiser University this Friday at 5 p.m.
