College basketball: FGCU women bury Lipscomb under 3s on Senior Day

It's homecoming weekend at Florida Gulf Coast University and the women's basketball team started the festivities right Saturday afternoon. 

FGCU's offense operated like a fine-tuned Porsche and the defense caught up as the Eagles flew away with an 88-52 win against solid Lipscomb in front of a strong showing in Alico Arena.

At 11-1 and with just two games to go, FGCU continues to hold a one-game lead over Jacksonville in the Atlantic Sun standings and the Eagles own the tiebreaker against the Dolphins by winning both matchups. 

FGCU (25-4) hosts Kennesaw State (7-16, 3-9) on Monday night, when the Eagles can clinch the regular-season title and top seeding for the ASUN tournament. They wrap up the regular season at Stetson (16-12, 7-5) next Saturday. 

The ASUN tournament starts on Friday, March 2. 

"It was a fast-paced game," FGCU coach Karl Smesko said. "Lot of scoring in the first quarter. I thought our defense after the first quarter got a lot better. We played with good discipline."

Saturday was Senior Day even though the Eagles will be back in Alico Arena on Monday night and during ASUN tournament play. Guard Jessica Cattani, a fifth-year senior who arrived as a walk-on before earning a scholarship as an important player, fifth-year senior guard China Dow, a fan favorite who plays her best in big games and was last season's ASUN tournament MVP after transferring from Middle Tennessee, sixth-year senior guard Taylor Gradinjan, a former member of the ASUN All-Freshman team who overcame two knee surgeries to become a four-year starter, forward Rosemarie Julien, an All-ASUN performer and the ASUN Newcomer of the Year last season after transferring from Chipola College, and guard Erica Nelson, a two-year starter who has poured it on of late, all were honored before the tip. 
 

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All five started -- Julien, Gradinjan and Nelson always do. 

"Their families are in town, they've all been big contributors to the program, they all are in the rotation this year," Smesko said. "So I thought they'd be excited about all five of them being on the floor together to start Senior Day."

Cattani took full advantage of her first start, making her first five 3-pointers and sinking 6 of 10 overall to pour in a game-high and career-high 20 points. 

"Cattani hit her first five 3s and really got us going offensively early," Smesko said. 
 

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Cattani's parents and brother made the trek from Wisconsin for Saturday's contest. 

"It was nice," Cattani said. "I think they were excited to see me start, especially with girls I've been playing with a few years now. It was really exciting to have that. As a group, I thought all five of us played well together."

The ASUN Preseason Player of the Year, Julien had 17 points, mostly by making 5 of 12 3-point attempts. 

Gradinjan made 4 of 9 trey tries for 12 points and sophomore forward Nasrin Ulel had 10 points. Sophomore forward Tytionia Adderly had a game-high 14 rebounds. 

The damper on the day was Nelson suffering a right ankle injury early on. She spent the second half in a boot. 

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"She'll probably have to get X-rays," Smesko said. "She was in a lot of pain. We'll know more tomorrow."

FGCU made 20 of 48 3-pointers, held Lipscomb to 35.3 percent from the field and dominated the boards. 

FGCU came out boiling hot, but so did Lipscomb. By the end of the first period, the Eagles had made eight 3-pointers -- Cattani's four, three by Julien and one by Gradinjan -- to Lipscomb's four as FGCU led 28-21. 

"We had a little competition, you know -- (Cattani) knocks one down, I've got to get it back," said Julien through a grin. "Jess was feeling it and I was feeling it, too. I worked on it earlier today, so I had my confidence up."

Julien and Cattani treys moved FGCU's lead to 34-23 and a 10-2 run to close the half put the Eagles in total control at 51-29. 

The second half was more of the same.

"Defense was kind of slow, but we picked it up," Julien said. "Offense, we were flowing."

FGCU Women 88, Lipscomb 52

Lipscomb (10-17, 6-6)
Kmec 2-5 0-0 6, Potts 1-3 0-0 2, Rau 1-1 5-6 7, Clark 3-7 2-4 8, Cagle 4-13 0-0 10, Jones 1-4 0-0 2, Lovelady 0-2 0-0 0, Short 1-3 0-0
2, Broughton 0-0 0-0 0,  Manos 2-6 0-0 6, Cotton 3-6 0-0 9, Northway 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 18-51 7-10 52.

FGCU (25-4, 11-1) 
Cattani 6-11 2-2 20, Nelson 0-1 0-0 0, Dow 2-9 5-5 9, Gradinjan 4-9 0-0 12, Julien 5-12 2-2 17, Blair 1-1 0-0 2, Ryan 3-5 0-0 9,
Zderadicka 2-6 0-0 4, Dowling 0-0 0-0 0,  Kisiel 0-0 0-0 0, Ulial 3-6 2-2 10,  Adderly 1-4 3-5 5. Totals: 27-64 14-16 88.

Lipscomb 21 8 12 11 -- 52
FGCU 28 23 20 17 -- 88

3-Point Goals -- Lipscomb 9-24 (Kmec 2-5, Potts 0-1 Clark 0-1, Cagle 2-6, Short 0-2, Manos 2-4, Cotton 3-5);  FGCU 20-48 (Cattani 6-
10, Nelson 0-1, Dow 0-4, Gradinjan 4-9, Julien 5-12, Ryan 3-5, Zderadicka 0-2, Ulel 2-5). Rebounds -- Lipscomb 27 (Kmec 4); FGCU 46
(Adderly 14). Assists -- Lipscomb 11 (Rau 3); FGCU 23 (Zderadicka 6). Total Fouls -- Lipscomb 15, FGCU 13. Fouled Out -- None.