Off The Bench: It's always good to get back home

The Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball team didn't have to click their Nikes together three times to realize "there's no place like home."

A glance up at the stands — which was filled with 903 fans — or the scoreboard — which was lit up by a barrage of 3-pointers from Candy Myers and Jen Conely — served as proof that Division II's 12th ranked team had returned to friendly territory four weeks since their last home game.

"It was nice to be back in front of our fans and show them that we made some progress during the month that we were gone," said Conely, a junior forward from Warren, Minn. who scored 17 points in the Eagles' 82-45 win against Palm Beach Atlantic University on Saturday night.

FGCU's 22-1 record includes a 13-1 mark at home.

With 52 wins in 58 games at Alico in four years, it's no surprise the Eagles were glad to be home again.

"We get some loyal fans and people that enjoy watching us play," said coach Karl Smesko. "It's always good to be back in front of them."

"I love our fans," added senior forward Ebonie Halliburton from East St. Louis, Ill.

FGCU did more than accumulate frequent flier miles in trips to Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and Alabama. On the court, the Eagles won all six road games by an average of 22.5 points.

"I was happy that they seemed focused," said Smesko. "They seemed determined to make sure we were successful on the trip. Getting down to the end of the season, sometimes maintaining focus is not the easiest thing, but I was impressed that they were focused on what we were going over and trying to implement it during the games, and they were real successful."

Off the court, opportunities to bond were welcomed by a team that had played just three road games in the first two months of the season.

"We did fun things on all the trips," said Halliburton. "It wasn't just practices and games. We did do some bonding outside of basketball."

Visits to the White House and National Zoo dotted the Eagles' agenda in Washington. So did a five-point win against the University of the District of Columbia, who will visit FGCU on Feb. 24.

On Saturday, the fans at Alico— which included groups from Lexington Middle School, Golden Gate High School, Fort Myers Beach Rotary Club and Naples Explosion girls basketball — were treated to a sizzling night from Myers (seven 3-pointers, 26 points) and Conely (five 3-pointers).

Absent from the welcoming home party, though, were FGCU students. No one expects a carbon copy of the Cameron Crazies at every game, but a few "nest pests" to drum up noise would add some atmosphere.

"We'll hear around school that 'you guys are doing so great.' But then they don't come to the games," said Halliburton. "I guess it's because we don't dunk."

But they do win.