A strong performance from Erin Rodgers helped the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) women’s basketball team secure a 68-63 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers on Saturday at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Florida. This win allowed FAU to complete a season sweep over UAB.
With this result, the Owls improved their record to 10-13 overall and 4-7 in American Athletic Conference play. UAB fell to 9-14 for the season and 2-9 in conference games.
The game began with Vivian Onugha scoring first for FAU. Destyne Jackson’s three-pointer sparked a 9-2 run, giving the Owls a nine-point lead by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, UAB narrowed the gap to seven points before Rodgers scored consecutive baskets, including her first three-pointer of the day, extending FAU’s lead to 12 points. Jess Moors also contributed with back-to-back scores late in the half, but UAB responded with four unanswered points to close out the half with FAU leading 33-24.
At the start of the second half, Rodgers hit another three-pointer as part of a 6-0 run that pushed FAU’s lead to its largest margin of 16 points. The Blazers then went on a six-point run to reduce their deficit before Rodgers’ third three-pointer increased FAU’s advantage again. By the end of the third quarter, UAB had cut FAU’s lead down to eight points.
In the final quarter, Moors made another three-pointer for FAU, but UAB continued to close in and eventually reduced FAU’s lead to just one point with less than half a minute remaining. The Owls secured their win by scoring four unanswered points in the closing seconds.
Saturday’s win marked Florida Atlantic’s first conference season sweep since they swept Charlotte during the 2023-24 season.
Rodgers led all scorers with a career-high 25 points and became the first Owl since last season to have back-to-back games with at least 20 points. She shot nine-for-fourteen from the field and added four rebounds against UAB. Onugha finished with ten points and tied Haley Walker for most rebounds on either team with seven each. Moors contributed five assists, matching a game best.
Florida Atlantic started strong by outscoring UAB 15-6 in the opening quarter and finished ahead in several categories: they scored more points in the paint (32-24), on fast breaks (8-5), and off turnovers (8-5).
The Owls will next travel to face Wichita State on Tuesday, February 10 at Charles Koch Arena.
