WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Florida Polytechnic University women's basketball team opened its Inaugural 2026-27 season in commanding fashion Thursday evening, defeating Trinity College of Florida 76-52. Behind a strong defensive performance, balanced scoring, and an impressive all-around effort from Celina Forine, the Phoenix secured their first victory in team history, starting the season 1-0.
Florida Poly established its presence early, using strong interior play and defensive pressure to take a 20-8 lead after the opening quarter. After Trinity jumped ahead 5-2 in the opening minutes, the Phoenix responded with an 8-0 run, highlighted by six points from Forine, to take a 10-5 advantage. Florida Poly continued building momentum as Dayla Christopher, Sofia Rathbun, and Madison Perez contributed baskets to extend the lead. Forine dominated the opening period, scoring 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting performance while adding three rebounds and a block. The Phoenix defense held Trinity to just two made field goals on 18 attempts in the quarter, limiting the Tigers to 11.1 percent shooting.
The second quarter saw Trinity find its offensive rhythm, outscoring Florida Poly 17-13 to cut into the Phoenix advantage. Valeria Munoz provided an offensive spark for Florida Poly, scoring four points in the period, while Christopher and Perez continued contributing inside. Sydney Reinhart connected on a crucial three-pointer with 1:35 remaining to extend the Phoenix lead to 31-20. Forine followed with two successful free throws to push the advantage to 13 points before Trinity closed the half with five unanswered points. Despite the Tigers' late surge, Florida Poly entered the halftime break holding a 33-25 lead. The Phoenix maintained control through their defensive intensity and ability to generate scoring opportunities in transition.
Coming out of halftime, Florida Poly continued its balanced offensive attack, scoring 18 points in the third quarter. Christopher opened the second-half scoring for the Phoenix with a three-pointer before Munoz knocked down another shot from beyond the arc to extend the advantage to 41-28. Trinity responded with a 10-3 run, narrowing the deficit to six points at 44-38 with 1:21 remaining. However, Florida Poly answered with a strong finish to the period. Munoz converted a pair of free throws, while Jayda Feurtado completed a three-point play and Forine added two more points from the charity stripe. The Phoenix entered the final quarter leading 51-40, positioning themselves for a strong finish.
Florida Poly delivered its most productive offensive quarter in the fourth, outscoring Trinity 25-12 to put the contest out of reach. The Phoenix opened the period with 10 unanswered points, as Perez and Forine converted inside before Rathbun and Munoz connected on consecutive three-pointers to stretch the lead to 61-40. Perez remained effective around the basket, scoring six points in the final period, while Forine contributed four points, three blocks, and two assists. Christopher added another three-pointer late in the quarter, and Bryleigh Florio connected from beyond the arc with 46 seconds remaining to give Florida Poly its largest lead of the night at 75-51. The Phoenix closed out the contest with a commanding 76-52 victory.
Forine led the Phoenix with an outstanding all-around performance, recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds while adding six assists, five blocks, and three steals. She shot an efficient 6-for-9 from the field and was perfect on all six free-throw attempts. Munoz finished with 14 points, six steals, three rebounds, and two assists, providing a major defensive presence throughout the contest. Christopher contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Perez added 12 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. Rathbun provided valuable production off the bench with six points, three rebounds, and two assists.
As a team, Florida Poly shot 39.7 percent from the field and converted 15 of its 19 free-throw attempts for an impressive 78.9 percent. The Phoenix dominated several statistical categories, recording 41 rebounds, 18 assists, 18 steals, and 10 blocks. Florida Poly also capitalized on Trinity's 22 turnovers, scoring 25 points off turnovers while holding the Tigers to just 26.6 percent shooting. The Phoenix controlled the interior with 34 points in the paint compared to Trinity's 24, while also recording 19 second-chance points. The balanced offensive production and disruptive defensive performance highlighted a strong opening-night showing for Florida Poly.
