Fort Myers, Fla. – Hofstra turned an 18-point deficit into a five-point game in the second half, but Florida Gulf Coast's Kaneisha Atwater scored a game-high 19 points and Whitney Knight added a double-double as the Pride fell, 61-46, to the Eagles in the Women's National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals on Monday evening at Alico Arena.

The Pride went 1-for-16 on three-pointers and ended its season 25-9. FGCU, the regular season Atlantic Sun champion, improved to 32-5 and advanced to the national semifinals to host Michigan in the round-of-four. Knight tallied 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Senior guard Darius Faulk scored 10 and corralled 10 rebounds for her third career double-double in her final collegiate game. It was the second time Faulk had a double-double of points and rebounds. All three of her double-doubles came this season.

Hofstra played in just its second WNIT quarterfinals in program history and first since 2007. The Pride ended the season one win shy of tying the 2007 team for the most single-season victories in the team's Division I era.

Junior forward Anjie White had 10 points and eight rebounds and junior guard Kelly Loftus contributed nine points off the bench. FGCU's Katie Meador scored nine points and added six rebounds.

Hofstra, which trailed by as much as 18, cut the deficit to 45-40 on junior guard Krystal Luciano's two free throws with 1:10 left in the third. The Pride out-scored the Eagles, 20-12, in the third as Loftus scored six in the period and forced FGCU to miss 11-of-16 field goal attempts in the period.

Atwater's layup re-established a double-digit FGCU lead at 50-40 in the fourth. Luciano's jumper brought it to 52-44 before Taylor Gradinjan hit a head-on three-pointer on the next trip down.

The Eagles went ahead by 17 in the opening half and headed into the locker room up 35-20. Atwater scored 13 points and Meador and Knight added nine while holding Hofstra to 29 percent shooting in the half.

FGCU never trailed in the first quarter in taking a 15-9 lead after 10 minutes. The Eagles forced the Pride to miss 12 of the first 18 field goal attempts and Knight grabbed five of the team's 16 total rebounds in the period.

Luciano was whistled for her third foul with 6:18 left in the second quarter. Senior guard Asia Jackson, playing in her final collegiate game, came off the bench and contributed two points and a rebound in working her back from an injury.

Meador's offensive rebound and kick-out to Atwater for a three-pointer put FGCU ahead, 28-14 and Knight hit a left left-corner three-pointer  for a 35-20 edge that stayed at 15 entering the break.

Hofstra is 7-6 all-time in the WNIT. Four of Hofstra's five 20-win seasons in the Division I era have come under Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey.