Florida Gulf Coast didn’t win this game early — it won it with separation. The Eagles carried a slim 25-24 halftime lead into the locker room, then flipped the contest with a 43-point second half to beat Jacksonville 68-49 on Saturday.

How it swung

The first half played tight, with Jacksonville hanging within a possession at the break. But the margin didn’t survive the second half. FGCU’s 43 points after halftime dwarfed Jacksonville’s 25, turning a one-point game into a 19-point final.

Score flow

Halftime: Florida Gulf Coast 25, Jacksonville 24

Second half: Florida Gulf Coast 43, Jacksonville 25

Final: Florida Gulf Coast 68, Jacksonville 49

Why it matters

For an FGCU team that entered at 8-13 and riding a LLWLL stretch, this was a needed result — not just a win, but a clean, controlled finish built on a dominant second half. Jacksonville, meanwhile, couldn’t manufacture enough offense after the break to keep pace once FGCU found rhythm.

Up next

The teams move forward from Jan. 31 with Florida Gulf Coast carrying momentum from a second-half surge, while Jacksonville is left searching for answers after a game that slipped away quickly after halftime.