LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern defeated Warner 87-49 behind Ana Richter’s third double-double of the season and a balanced offensive attack to claim its 45th straight regular season victory.
Despite starting the contest three of ten from the field, the Fire found their groove in the second quarter. They began the second frame on a 10-0 run that distanced themselves from the competition.
Richter finished the first half with 11 points on five of 11 shooting for her 11th consecutive game with double digit scoring in the first twenty minutes of play. The reigning NAIA National Player of the Week ended the first half with six rebounds as Southeastern led the Royals by a score of 38-22 heading into the break.
The best shooting team in the country continued to be dominant after their 16-30 performance in the initial two quarters of play.
SEU extended their advantage over Warner with more of the same in the second half.
In the third quarter, Jaycee Coe shot lights out from beyond the arc to create even more separation for the Fire. The junior guard hit two three-pointers and scored ten total points in the period. Coe finished the night with 22 points as she connected on six of her nine attempts from downtown.
Overall, the Fire swarmed to the ball both offensively and defensively, which was ultimately the difference in the contest.
Southeastern more than doubled the Royals on the glass, collecting 51 rebounds to Warner’s 25.
Five SEU players grabbed more than five rebounds on the night, led by Richter who came up with 15 of Warner’s missed shot attempts, a career high. Coe added eight boards in the contest.
After only outscoring the Royals by four in the opening frame, Southeastern outscored their rivals by double digits in each of the remaining quarters, including a 20-8 stretch in the final period to come out victorious 87-49.
The Fire made 53.7% of their attempts (36-67) and knocked down ten of 25 threes (40.0%) as they cruised in the Furnace.
SEU will be back in action as they look to stay undefeated on the year when they travel to Babson Park to battle with Webber. The game is scheduled for January 20 at 2 p.m.
