FORT MYERS, Fla. – FGCU women’s basketball begins the exhibition portion of its 2011-12 season on Saturday, welcoming Division II Eckerd College to Alico Arena for an 11 a.m. matchup.

General admission tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children age 18 and under.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
FGCU vs. ECKERD (Exhibition)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011
TIME: 11 A.M. ET
SITE: Fort Myers, Fla. - Alico Arena
LIVE STATS: FGCUAthletics.com
SERIES: Third Meeting; FGCU leads 2-0
LAST MEETING: FGCU 84, Eckerd 68; Dec. 29, 2005 at Alico Arena

The Eagles return eight players, including four starters from last year’s squad that went 28-4 overall, won the program’s second A-Sun regular season title and made its fourth consecutive WNIT appearance. Redshirt sophomore Sarah Hansen (McKean, Pa./General McLane HS), a 2011-12 preseason All-Conference selection, is FGCU’s top returning scorer (13.3 ppg) and rebounder (5.8 rpg). The Green and Blue’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made (249), senior Kelsey Jacobson (Barnesville, Minn./Moorhead HS) is another full-time returning starter, while senior Courtney Chihil (Tipp City, Ohio/Alter HS), FGCU’s other preseason All-Conference honoree, started all 32 games and averaged 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest in 2010-11.

Head coach Paul Honsinger and the Tritons, return three of five starters from a team that posted a 17-11 record (9-7 Sunshine State Conference) last season. Eckerd, who tied the program’s single-season record for wins (17), was defeated in the semifinals of the 2011 Sunshine State Conference Basketball Championship by top-seeded Florida Southern, 80-60, to end the 2010-11 campaign.

FGCU will open the program’s 10th season with a trip to Seton Hall on Friday, Nov. 11. Led by second-year head coach Anne Donovan, the Pirates are coming off an 8-22 season, where they finished 1-15 in BIG EAST play. The Eagles defeated Seton Hall, 64-57, in the 2010-11 season opener for both squads on Nov. 12, 2010.