TALLAHASSEE, F.L. – Despite a double-double performance from junior forward Jen Hailey, the Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team fell to the Florida State Seminoles on the road Sunday, 64-62. In what was a tight game throughout and featured 14 lead changes, FSU took a one-point lead with 1:43 remaining in regulation and managed to hold off Charlotte for the narrow victory. With the loss, the 49ers fall to 5-3 on the season, while the Seminoles improve to 4-5.
“It’s a heartbreaker for us,” said head coach Cara Consuegra. “I thought we competed well. For 36 minutes, I thought we were the better team. We played hard, we battled, we did almost everything right. Unfortunately that’s the game of basketball; sometimes it comes down to one or two possessions. Overall, we’ll grow from this, we’ll get better and it’ll pay off down the road.”
Hailey was the game’s leading scorer and rebounder, tallying 20 points and 10 boards in the game. Additionally, she had two assists and a game-high four steals and three blocked shots in the loss.
“I thought Jen played great,” Consuegra said. “I think she’s capable of a double-double every night. I would take her over any post player in the country, that’s how good she is and how much I believe in her.”
Charlotte led by as many as eight points midway through the second half, but Florida State battled back to take a one-point lead, 56-55, its first of the second frame with 5:29 left in the game. A jumper by senior guard Epiphany Woodson put the Niners back up by one, but the Seminoles’ Cierra Bravard came right back with a layup to restore her team’s late lead.
The lead continued to sway back and forth, with Charlotte’s Amanda Dowe putting the 49ers up, 63-62 with 2:01 remaining, what would be their final lead of the game. The Seminoles made a layup at the 1:43 mark, then hit a key free throw with three seconds remaining to go up by two and seal their victory. Dowe’s last ditch effort from half court was close, but bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
The two teams battled throughout the first half, with Charlotte taking a 30-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Dowe had a solid game, pulling down eight rebounds in her eight-point performance. She also came away with two steals while dishing out a pair of assists. Woodson had a double-digit performance for the Niners, totaling 10 points, including two of the team’s three three-pointers, while adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Nai Hammonds had a game-high five assists.
Charlotte shot 35.1% from the field, including a 39.5% mark in the second half, and 46.7% from the free throw line in the game. The Niners out-rebounded the Seminoles, 48-45, including a 20-15 edge in offensive boards.
This concludes a four-game road stand for Charlotte. The 49ers return home to Halton Arena this Wednesday, Dec. 7th to face UNC Wilmington. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
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