The Chi Theta Upsilon Gators and the Alpha Gamma Tau Eagles went head-to-head last Monday night to fight for a second-round playoff berth. The Gators defeated the Eagles 29-18, ending the Eagles’ season with a 5-3 record.

The Gators and Eagles matched up twice earlier this season, with each team claiming a double-digit win over the other. The Eagles, missing senior coach and point guard Taylor Macklenar, found themselves down early as the Gators jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead after junior Anna Whitford added a steal and a layup. Shortly after, the Gators forced another turnover and converted on the other end to give them a 10-0 advantage six minutes into the game. Chi Theta junior Kara Moore then hit a free throw and layup after a stolen inbound pass before two more free throws contributed to a 15-0 Gator lead.

Junior Dani Conaway was the first to score for the Eagles as she worked in the low post. Less than a minute later, senior Esther LaPointe contributed two points with a mid-ranged jumper. The Gators had an open shot at the buzzer but couldn’t convert, leaving the score 15-4 at the half.

The second half started quickly, with the Gators’ Moore hitting a jumper on their first possession and Whitford again stealing the ball and taking it down the court for a layup. With the score 19-4, both teams went dry for almost six minutes before Moore again found the basket with a running floater, and soon thereafter freshman Jordan White chipped in with a layup. With the score at 23-4, senior Rachel Stricklen went to the foul line and made her second free throw to end the Eagles nine-and-a-half-minute scoring drought. But soon after, Chi Theta’s Moore hit another jumper for the Gators, bringing the score to 25-5.

The Eagles started to improve toward the end of the second half as Conaway scored two baskets down low, and LaPointe added a free throw to make the score 25-10. The Gators’ White answered back with a deep 2-pointer. LaPointe scored once more with a jumper of her own, bringing the Eagles to within 13 and the score to 27-14. The Gators hit another basket, and although the Eagles converted two more shots of their own, it wasn’t enough to bring them back. The final score tallied 29-18 in favor of the Gators.