AUSTIN, Texas – FDU women's basketball continued its challenging non-conference schedule on Wednesday night, taking on No. 6 Texas at the Moody Center. The Knights showed resilience against one of the nation's top programs, winning two of the four quarters and putting together a strong offensive performance in the second half, but ultimately fell to the Longhorns, 85-65.
Sophomore Reese Downey led the Knights with a career-high 17 points, knocking down five three-pointers to pace the FDU offense. Downey finished 6-for-15 from the field and added two rebounds and a block in 31 minutes of action.
Texas came out strong in the opening quarter, using its size and offensive efficiency to build an early advantage. The Longhorns jumped out to a 30-8 lead after the first 10 minutes, led by Madison Booker and Breya Cunningham, who combined for 13 points in the opening frame.
FDU responded in the second quarter, outscoring Texas 19-14 to begin chipping away at the deficit. Ane Valle sparked the Knights offensively, finishing with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Valle also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out two assists. Iriona Gravley provided a spark on both ends of the floor, recording nine points, four steals and three rebounds.
The Knights continued to find their rhythm offensively, with Downey connecting from deep and Ally Kaminski adding two three-pointers of her own. Kaminski finished with six points and two assists, while Theresa Biladi contributed six points on a perfect 2-for-2 shooting night, including a three-pointer.
FDU also received important contributions from its starting backcourt. Rebecca Osei-Owusu finished with four points, five rebounds and three assists while adding a steal and a block. Ophir Weintraub facilitated the offense with five assists to go along with four points.
Texas responded coming out of halftime, outscoring the Knights 22-15 in the third quarter to maintain its advantage. Booker continued to lead the Longhorns, finishing with a game-high 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. Cunningham added 21 points and 13 rebounds to record a double-double.
FDU continued to battle in the final quarter, putting together its strongest offensive stretch of the night. The Knights outscored Texas 23-19 in the fourth, knocking down four three-pointers and shooting 9-for-13 from the field in the period. Leah Crosby and Kaminski helped lead the late offensive push, while Gravley continued to make an impact defensively.
Crosby finished with nine points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks, providing an important presence on both ends of the floor. The freshman's defensive effort helped FDU finish the night with five total blocks and six steals.
Despite the final result, the Knights showed their ability to compete against another nationally ranked opponent, winning two quarters and shooting an impressive 50 percent from three-point range. FDU finished with 10 three-pointers, 15 assists and 19 bench points while continuing to gain valuable experience against Power Conference competition.
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Reese Downey led FDU with a career-high 17 points, including five three-pointers.
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Ane Valle added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds while shooting 80 percent from the field.
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Iriona Gravley finished with nine points and a game-high four steals.
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Leah Crosby contributed nine points and two blocks.
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Ally Kaminski and Theresa Biladi each added six points.
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Rebecca Osei-Owusu recorded four points, five rebounds and three assists.
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Ophir Weintraub led the Knights with five assists.
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FDU won the second quarter (19-14) and fourth quarter (23-19).
FDU will return home to Hackensack to continue its non-conference schedule, welcoming East Stroudsburg to the Bogota Savings Bank Center on Monday, November 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on NEC Front Row.
Connect with FDU Women's Basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsWBB.
Segovia Steakhouse is the presenting sponsor of the 2026-27 FDU women's basketball season.
