WKU Women’s Basketball failed to answer Florida Atlantic’s third-quarter surge in its 47-44 loss in Diddle Arena Wednesday night.

The Owls outscored the Lady Toppers 21-7 in the third, shooting 6-9 from three compared to WKU’s 1-5. WKU also committed 13 of its 25 turnovers in the period.

“We were a little stumped by their aggressive defense (and) the press,” senior forward Zsofia Telegdy said. “That shows in our turnovers.”

WKU marginally led after the first and second quarters. The Lady Topper offense did not click immediately, but effective defense forced four FAU turnovers in the first period. Senior forward Jeniffer Silva used her unmatched height to her advantage, leading the Lady Toppers in the first with six points.

Both teams traded baskets in the second quarter. The Lady Toppers led 27-21 at halftime.

Silva played only four minutes in the third quarter and none in the fourth. She did not manage a field goal in the second half.

“That third quarter, we had to get Silva out of there because they were spreading us out and hitting threes,” Head Coach Greg Collins said.

The fourth quarter saw resilience from WKU. The Lady Toppers scored the first eight points of the final period, tying the game at 42-42. FAU responded with a 5-0 scoring run to regain the lead, after which WKU could not recover.

Sophomore forward Torri James ended the night as the Lady Toppers’ leading scorer, posting 12 points. She also finished with the most offensive rebounds with four.

The Lady Toppers will begin their five-game road trip Sunday, Dec. 7 at Miami (OH).