THE BASICS:

RESULT: Florida Gulf Coast 64, Hartford 44
RECORDS: Hartford (4-9), FGCU (12-4)
LOCATION: Alico Arena (Fort Myers, Fla.)
ATTENDANCE:  2,217

THE LEAD: The University of Hartford women's basketball team dropped a 64-44 decision at Florida Gulf Coast University on Saturday evening in its final contest of the non-conference game of the season. Junior Alyssa Reaves led the Hawks with a double-double – the second of her career – on a career-high 15 points and game-high 10 rebounds.

Hartford's defense from long range was on point in the first half, as it held FGCU to a 2-for-20 start from downtown. The Eagles, who held a 24-17 edge at the break, went on to miss their six more triples to open the second half, but eventually put the game away by converting on nine of their next 14attempts from long rnage. Freshman Kelly Douglass added nine points, a career-best, behind a 3-for-3 effort from long range in the loss while Taylor Gradinjan, who knocked down six three-pointers for the Eagles, led all scorers with 21 points.

FIRST HALF:
Senior Christie Michals bettered her previous season-high in scoring in the first 2:10 to help the Hawks jump out to an early lead. Knocking down a three-pointer 39 seconds in, she ended a Florida Gulf Coast 4-0 spurt with a pair of free throws to put the Hawks on top at 5-4. Following four more unanswered points from the Eagles, Reaves converted through contact on a putback on her own miss before Katelyn Skinner dialed in from long range and gave Hartford a 10-8 edge 19 seconds later. But Kaneisha Atwater would tie things up before the end of the stanza, as she got a jumper in the paint to fall to make it a 10-10 game.

That bucket at the buzzer provided the Eagles with some momentum to start the second. The home team scored eight of the game's next 10 points to go up by an 18-12 count with 3:53 remaining before halftime. Included in that stretch was a three-pointer from Taylor Gradinjan, which was FGCU's first make from downtown in 16 attempts. With the Hawks facing an 18-13 deficit, Reaves countered a layup by Atwater and a free throw from Gradinjan with two jumpers, but Gradinjan would go on to push the Eagles' lead to seven points at halftime with a three-pointer.

Reaves led all players in scoring and rebounding at the break with eight and seven, respectively. Defensively, the Hawks held FGCU to 28.1 percent shooting from the floor during that stretch, including an anemic 2-for-20 effort (10.0%) from behind the arc.

SECOND HALF:
The shooting woes from long range continued for FGCU in the second half, as the Hawks' defense forced misses on the home team's first six attempts of the second. Misfiring on all but two of their first 26 three-pointers of the game, the Eagles started to heat up from long range, a tool in which they used late to pull away from the Hawks. Over the final 5:09 of the third stanza, FGCU knocked down three shots from long range, as it outscored Hartford, 11-6, over that stretch to go up by 13 points (38-25).

Shots continued to fall from long range for FGCU in the final quarter. The Eagles made six three-pointers, four of which came from Gradinjan, over the final 10 minutes to push their advantage to 64-39 with 79 seconds left. The Hawks did pick up the scoring down the stretch, though, as they poured-in 13 points over the final five minutes, with Douglass netting all nine of her points from behind the arc during that stretch.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Neither team shot well to open up the game, as Hartford went 23.1 percent (6-26) in the first half to FGCU's 28.1 percent (9-32).
• Hartford's three-point defense was on point to start the game, as it held FGCU to a 2-for-20 (10.0%) effort in the first half. FGCU missed its first 15 three-pointers before finally converting with 6:10 remaining in the second.
• Thanks to the Hawks' defense, FGCU's sluggish shooting from long range carried into the second half. The Eagles missed their first six three-pointers over the first five minutes of the third but then got hot, making 9-of-14 during the game's final 15 minutes.
• Overall, Hartford shot 34.0 percent (17-50), including 46.2 percent (6-13) from three-point land. The Eagles would finish at 37.1 percent (23-62) from the floor and 27.5 percent (11-40) from three.
• FGCU scored 19 points off of 18 Hartford miscues and held a 13-4 advantage in second-chance opportunities..

NEWS & NOTES:

• Reaves' double-double is the second for a Hawk player this season, and the second of her career. La'Trice Hall, a junior, compiled Hartford's other double-double at Quinnipiac, where she finished with 13 points and 10 boards.
• Two players achieved career-highs in scoring against the Eagles, as Reaves' 15 ties a personal-best. With nine points behind 3-for-3 shooting from three, Douglass also bettered her previous career-high (6 points).
• Saturday's meeting with Florida Gulf Coast was the first between the two programs.

UP NEXT:                                                                     
The Hawks begin their 16-game America East Conference slate at home on Wednesday, Jan. 6, against UMass Lowell. Tip off from the Reich Family Pavilion is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets for the league opener are still available, and can be purchased by visiting www.HartfordHawks.com, by calling 860.768.HAWK, or at the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletic Ticket Office located inside of Chase Arena.