Florida Atlantic University’s women’s basketball team ended its home season with a 61-57 victory over Tulane on Tuesday at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton. The win brings the Owls’ overall record to 13-16 and their conference record to 7-10, while Tulane falls to 11-18 overall and matches Florida Atlantic’s conference mark.
The game began unusually, as Tulane was awarded two free throws before tip-off due to an administrative technical foul on Florida Atlantic. After falling behind early, the Owls tied the score at 4-4 within the first three minutes. Haley Walker gave Florida Atlantic its first lead midway through the opening quarter, which ended with the Owls ahead by one point.
In the second quarter, Michiyah Simmons and Grace Carstensen each hit three-pointers to extend Florida Atlantic’s lead. Although Tulane briefly regained control, Ineivi Plata’s three-pointer put the Owls back in front. A late run capped by another Carstensen three-pointer and Simmons’ free throws helped secure a four-point halftime advantage for Florida Atlantic.
Tulane opened the third quarter with a strong run but could not maintain momentum as Florida Atlantic responded with consecutive scoring bursts led by Carstensen and Simmons. The teams traded leads throughout, but another five-point surge allowed the Owls to carry a slim margin into the final period.
Tulane started the fourth quarter strongly but was matched by Vivian Onugha’s layup for Florida Atlantic. With less than a minute remaining and the score tied at 55, Madi Gewirtz hit a crucial three-pointer that proved decisive for the Owls. Tulane was unable to recover as Florida Atlantic closed out the win from the free throw line.
After this result, Florida Atlantic is now part of a three-way tie for seventh place in seeding for next week’s American Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. The team also improved its all-time record against Tulane to 2-4.
Simmons led all scorers for Florida Atlantic with 13 points, followed by Carstensen with 12 and Gewirtz with 10. Plata contributed seven rebounds, matching her career best, while Onugha collected four steals. The Owls shot better than Tulane from both field goal range (37 percent vs. 35 percent) and beyond the arc (27 percent vs. 22 percent), as well as from the free throw line (79 percent vs. 70 percent). Bench players for Florida Atlantic contributed significantly, outscoring their counterparts from Tulane by a margin of 27-4.
Florida Atlantic will conclude its regular season on Saturday against Temple in Philadelphia at Liacouras Center, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m., broadcast on ESPN+.
For updates on Florida Atlantic women’s basketball, fans can follow @FAUWBB_Hoops on X or @FAUWBB on Instagram or like their Facebook page.
Florida Atlantic’s season sponsor is Flagler Credit Union.
