WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University's women's basketball team continued its undefeated start to the season with a commanding 102-40 victory over Atlantis University on Saturday afternoon. The Phoenix improved to 3-0 behind an explosive offensive performance that featured 17 three-pointers, 27 assists and five players scoring in double figures. Valeria Munoz led the way with 21 points, while Celina Forine delivered an outstanding all-around performance with 13 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. The win for Florida Poly marked the first time in program history that the Phoenix scored over 100 points and 62 points is the largest margin of victory as well.
Florida Poly established control early in the opening quarter, jumping out to a 10-2 advantage behind a pair of three-pointers from Madison Perez and a layup from Forine. Munoz continued the offensive momentum, connecting on two shots from beyond the arc while adding a midrange jumper. Sydney Reinhart provided an immediate spark off the bench, contributing four points late in the period. The Phoenix closed the opening quarter with a 23-10 advantage, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and connecting on four three-pointers while forcing six Atlantis turnovers.
The Phoenix took complete control in the second quarter, outscoring Atlantis 34-8 to build a commanding 57-18 halftime lead. Forine led the charge with eight points in the period, while Bryleigh Florio caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down three consecutive three-point attempts for nine points. Perez, Sofia Rathbun, Dayla Christopher and Munoz also connected from deep as Florida Poly overwhelmed the Atlantis defense with its perimeter shooting. The Phoenix connected on eight three-pointers during the quarter, combining efficient shooting with strong ball movement and defensive pressure to extend their lead to 39 points heading into halftime.
Florida Poly maintained its offensive rhythm coming out of the break, adding 23 points in the third quarter while limiting Atlantis to 13. Christopher made her presence felt offensively, scoring seven points in the period, including five from the free-throw line. Munoz continued to facilitate the offense, recording three assists, while Perez and Jayda Feurtado each connected from three-point range. Reinhart provided a strong finish to the quarter, scoring four points in the final minute to push the Phoenix advantage to 80-31 entering the fourth.
The Phoenix continued their dominance in the final quarter, outscoring Atlantis 22-9 to secure the 62-point victory. Munoz opened the period with a three-pointer and later added another from beyond the arc, bringing her total to five for the contest. Reinhart contributed five points in the quarter, while Rathbun added five of her own, including a three-pointer. Florida Poly reached the century mark on a jumper from Christopher with 1:46 remaining before Perez knocked down two free throws to complete the 102-40 victory.
Munoz led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, while adding seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Perez followed with 16 points, connecting on four three-pointers, while Christopher contributed 14 points and nine rebounds. Forine finished with 13 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, eight assists and four steals, narrowly missing a triple-double. Reinhart added 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while Florio finished with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
As a team, Florida Poly shot an impressive 53.8 percent from the field and 54.8 percent from three-point range, connecting on 17 of its 31 attempts. The Phoenix dominated the rebounding battle 48-26, recorded 27 assists on 35 made field goals and received 30 points from their bench. Defensively, Florida Poly held Atlantis to just 22.2 percent shooting from the field and 14.3 percent from three-point range. Rosemary Franco led Atlantis with 13 points, while Maria Jose Quiroga added 11.
