FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Jacksonville University women's basketball team (10-19, 6-10 ASUN) fell to Florida Gulf Coast (26-4, 16-0 ASUN) with a score of 80-55. 

Despite coming out strong for most of the first half, the Eagles managed to seize control early in the third quarter after five lead changes, creating a deficit too challenging for the Dolphins to recover from. 

Boosted by Saniyah Craig's assist, a hot Sana'a Garrett ignited the JU offense by sinking a three-pointer mere seconds into the game. Edyn Battle, Jalisa Dunlap, and Craig all contributed to the offensive production after Garrett's initial trey, allowing JU to surge ahead by as much as seven points within the first 10 minutes. A stout Dolphin defense restricted the Eagles' high-caliber offense to just 15 points in the first quarter, with the Dolphins leading 16-15. Before the first buzzer sounded, the home team added to their tally, concluding the first quarter with a score of 18-16 in favor of FGCU. Edyn Battle having a solid start for the Dolphins, scored seven points in the quarter. 

Entering the second quarter, JU regained a three-point lead with 9:13 remaining. However, a scoring drought for the Dolphins allowed FGCU to embark on a series of small runs, granting them control of the game at halftime with a score of 35-25. 

To open the third, Kyshonna Brown's jumper would cut FGCU's lead to eight with 6:36 left, making it 43-35. Following back-and-forth of buckets, spurred by Brown's momentum, Battle managed to narrow the gap for the green and white to seven against the conference's top team, trailing 49-42 with 4:29 left in the third. The Dolphins' defense capitalized on the offensive momentum, resulting in a shot clock violation that set JU up to come within four. The Dolphins fell short after a run that saw FGCU extend their lead from seven to 16 points by the end of the third quarter, as FGCU pulled away for the victory.

 UP NEXT 

The Dolphins will prepare for the Atlantic SUN Conference Tournament.The bracket is set for #9 Jacksonville to face #10 Bellarmine Friday, March 8. The game is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.

ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• Edyn Battle finished with 20 points, shooting 6-14 from the field and 7-8 from the free-throw line. 

• Jalisa Dunlap scored 14 points, just two points away from tying her season high. 

• Saniyah Craig scored nine points, shooting 4-5 from the field. 

• The Dolphins continued to shoot at a high percentage from beyond the arc, 45%, compared to FGCU's 22%. 

• The Dolphins shot 12-16 from the free-throw line.