Vehka-Aho Tallies Career-High 28 Points in Hard-Fought Loss Against Rice

Thursday, January 9

Boca Raton, Fla.

7 PM

Florida Atlantic

-76 (11 CUSA)

Rice

-76 (20 CUSA)

RICE

Fla. Atlantic

Photo by: ©JC Ridley/Owlpix.com

Vehka-Aho Tallies Career-High 28 Points in Hard-Fought Loss Against Rice

1/9/2020 10:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University women's basketball team (7-7, 1-2 C-USA) lost a tough battle against Rice (8-6, 3-0 C-USA) Thursday night, 78-69. The FAU Owls scored 14 more points than Rice gives up on average this season, but FAU fell short in their home conference opener. Freshman Lotta Vehka-Aho tallied a career-high 28 points to lead the Owls of South Florida.

How It Was Decided

The clash of the Owls started out fast out of the gate with Vehka-Aho recording the Owls' first five points in the contest. The FAU Owls trailed by three with less than two minutes left in the quarter, but an Astou Gaye 3-pointer tied the game at 15, a piece.

Gaye hit another shot from downtown to open up the second half for FAU. Rice went on a 6-0 run, but with less than five minutes left to go in the first half, Amber Gaston hit a 3-pointer off an assist by Nikola Ozola to make it a 29-25 game. Gaye would then take a shot from beyond the arc to pull the FAU Owls within three, but Rice punched in a layup with time expiring in the quarter to send FAU into the locker room trailing, 36-31.

In the third quarter, Rice cruised on a 7-2 run, making 4-5 field goals, but Vehka-Aho halted the run with her fourth 3-pointer of the game to mark a new career high. Crystal Primm swished a shot from downtown to put FAU within four, but Rice went on a 13-5 run at the end of the third to ride on a 62-51 lead going into the final frame of play.

Foul trouble was an issue for FAU for a major part of the second half with six players posting more than three notes. Although FAU outscored Rice 18-16 in the frame, the FAU Owls would go on to drop the contest, 78-69.

Game Notes

Freshman Vehka-Aho let everyone know that she means business, capturing a career-high 28 points and four 3-pointers, while shooting 11-19 from the field. The Finland product also delivered three assists and matched a career-high four steals, while playing all 40 minutes in the game
Primm tallied double digits with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and a block. The graduate student played her third straight game with 3+ steals, recording all three in the first quarter
Gaye finished the game with nine points along with a career-high three 3-pointers. The junior also pulled down four boards and a block in the tilt
Juliette Gauthier punched in nine points, four rebounds and three assists. Gauthier also recorded a season-high five steals
Ozola had four assists and three steals along with three points on the night
The FAU Owls had their most steals of the season with 18 in the game

Up Next

FAU will finish the homestand against North Texas on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Abessinio Court at RoofClaim.com Arena. For tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or buy them here.

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