The Matchup: FGCU (7-2) @ Bethune-Cookman (3-7)
When: Wednesday, Dec. 17 | 7 p.m.
Where: Moore Gymnasium (3,000)
Audio: FGCU internet radio with Tom James and Peter Lonergan
Live Stats: via BCUWildcats.com
Hashtags: #WingsUp | #WeAreFGCU | #RainingThrees
Series History: FGCU leads 3-0 with meetings in 2008, 2009 & 2013
Game Notes: FGCU  |  Bethune Cookman
 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After a six-day break from competition, the FGCU women's basketball team is back in action Wednesday, Dec. 17 at Bethune-Cookman. Tipoff at Moore Gymnasium in the in-state matchup is slated for 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can listen live and free of charge via FGCU internet radio with Tom James and Peter Lonergan on the call from Daytona. Live stats will be available via BCUWildcats.com and fans can follow via twitter at @FGCU_WBB.
 
GAME DAY TWEETABLES
1. FGCU currently ranks second in the nation with 11.1 3-pointers made per game. The team sits behind only Sacramento State (13.3).
 
2. Three of the Eagles' five probable starters average 10.0 points per game or more with Dunson leading the team with 35 assists.
 
3. After setting a new FGCU DI record with 33 points against Providence, Kaneisha Atwater was named the #ASunWBB Player of the Week.
 
4. Atwater's weekly award was the Eagles' third-straight nod from the A-Sun as Knight and Gradinjan picked up awards in the two previous weeks.
 
5. With 100 made long-range buckets, 41.2 percent of the team's points come from beyond-the-arc.
THE GREEN AND BLUE
FGCU continues nonconference action with a record of 7-2 after going 2-1 in the U.S. Virgin Islands and picking up wins over Southern Mississippi and Providence in the month of December. The team's two losses came in close contests with a three-point loss at Auburn and a double-overtime defeat at the hands of Ohio State, which has helped its RPI rise to the current mark of 37.  
 
Backed by five-time Coach of the Year Karl Smesko, the Eagles returned two double-figure scorers in juniors Whitney Knight (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds High School) and Stephanie Haas (Avon Lake, Ohio/Magnificat High School) for the 2014-15 slate. Knight and Haas joined senior Jenna Cobb (New Holland, Ohio/Miami Trace High School/Butler) as this season's Preseason All-Conference award winners with Knight voted as Preseason Player of the Year.
 
Junior Kaneisha Atwater (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Westover High School) currently leads the team with 15.0 points per game after setting a new FGCU Division I single-game program record with 33 points in the win over Providence. Knight adds 14.3 points per contest this season with Haas also contributing double figures with 11.4. Cobb sits just behind the trio with 9.3 points per game in addition to her 26 assists and 17 steals. 
 
Knight leads the squad all around with 20 blocks and 19 steals on the year, while DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga./Westover High School) has dished out a team-high 35 assists in nine games so far.
 
Redshirt-freshman Taylor Gradinjan (Cudahy, Wisc./Cudahy High School) put up a career-high 23 points against Southern Miss. and is now averaging 6.4 points in eight games. The technical newcomer earned her first A-Sun weekly honor for the performance following Knight's Player of the Week nod. Atwater conjoined the duo to make it three straight for the Eagles during the month of December.
 
As a unit, the Eagles average 80.8 points per game, while holding foes to 62.2 points per contest. The team holds a shooting percentage of .467 with a 3-point percentage of .398 so far this year. The Eagles rank second in the NCAA and first among the Atlantic Sun with 11.1 shots made from the perimeter. Defensively, the Green and Blue have been narrowly outrebounded, 34.8 to 36.4 per game this year but hold an advantage in turnovers, 13.1 to 19.3 and steals, 10.0 to 6.1.
 
The Eagles currently lead the Atlantic Sun Conference in points per game, scoring margin, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, assists, turnover margin, assist to turnover ratio and rebounding defense.
 
LAST TIME OUT
With a new FGCU Division I single-game record of 33 points from Atwater, the FGCU women's basketball team outlasted Providence College 68-58 Thursday night at Alico Arena. With the win, the Eagles improved to 7-2 on the season, while the Friars returned to New England with a mark of 3-7.
 
Backed by a stellar start from Atwater and a shooting percentage above 60 percent, the Eagles took hold of the game with a double-figure lead in the first half. The Friars cut the lead to just one point midway through the second half but ended the game with just two field goals in their final 10 attempts. The Eagles sealed the win with eight points in the final four minutes to move to 5-0 at home on the year with a 17-game win streak at Alico dating back to the 2013-14 season.
 
In addition to Atwater's 33-point performance, the Eagles also saw double figures from junior Knight, who recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
 
Atwater went 11-for-18 from the field with eight made free throws on 11 attempts and added two assists and four steals in the win, while Knight led all players with two blocks and added two steals to the team's total. Atwater's new record surpassed Adrianne McNally's 32 points scored against Kennesaw State during the 2008-09 season.
 
As a unit, the Eagles outshot the Friars with a total mark of 51.1 percent, while holding PC to a 41 percent success rate. Despite not attempting a three for the first 13 minutes of action, the Green and Blue finished with seven made long shots on 19 attempts.  The teams were even with 33 rebounds and 18 turnovers each.
 
ALL-TIME MEETINGS WITH THE WILDCATS
FGCU meets Bethune-Cookman for the fourth time in program history Thursday. The Eagles are 3-0 in previous meetings with a point advantage of 75.6 to 48.3. The team earned a win in Daytona Beach in 2008 and picked up wins at Alico in 2009 and 2013.
 
LAST TIME V. BETHUNE-COOKMAN
The Eagles hosted Bethune Cookman in last season's home opener where they improved to 2-0 with a 71-38 win. 
 
After recording three tie scores in the opening minutes of the contest, the Eagles took control of the game in the first half when they held Bethune-Cookman to zero field goals over the final 8:35 of the half.  The Green and Blue increased its lead to 33 points in the second half and ultimately took the win, 71-38.
 
Knight led the Eagles for the second-consecutive game with 14 points on the night, while Atwater chipped in 11 points in the contest and played a notably strong game defensively, while then senior Sarah Hansen added four steals, nine points and 10 rebounds for FGCU.
 
SCOUTING THE HOME TEAM
Bethune-Cookman enters Wednesday's matchup with a record of 3-6 on the year including a 91-61 loss at Stetson to open the season and an 81-63 loss against Akron Monday. The team is in the midst of a two-game losing streak after picking up wins over Lynn, Edward Waters and Savannah State. With games against Savannah State and South Carolina State, the team holds a 1-1 record in MEAC play.
 
As a unit, the Wildcats average 56.6 points per game, while having allowed foes to score 70.8 points through 10 games so far. The team has amassed a shooting Percentage of just 33.4 this season with a mark of 27.1 percent from 3-point range and has hit 49 shots from beyond-the-arc. Defensively, the team has been outrebounded 44.2 to 37.2 per game and has turned the ball over 18 times per game so far this season.
 
Sophomore Kendra Cooper leads the team's offensive production with 14.0 points per game, including a team-best 32 3-pointers. Despite leading the team, Cooper scored just two points against Akron Monday and went 0-for-7 in last year's meeting at Alico Arena.  Seniors Terrenisha Hollis and Kayla Crawford add 9.7 and 9.4 points per game, respectively for the Wildcats. Hollis leads the team with 20 steals, while Crawford paces the Wildcats with 6.0 rebounds per game and a shooting percentage of .408. Crawford led the team against Akron with 17 points and seven rebounds.  Sophomore Kaitlyn Williams leads the team with a shooting percentage of .421 on the year and has recorded 28 blocks in 10 games with 27.0 minutes played per game. Jasmine Knowles has facilitated the offense with a team-high 28 assists this season. The junior has played in 25.8 minutes per game and has stated all 10 contests.
 
Head coach Vanessa Blair Lewis is in her seventh season with the Wildcats. She led the team to a 12-18 record in her sixth season with a loss in the semifinal round of the MEAC Championship and entered the season with a mark of 76-102 in her first six seasons at the helm.
 
SMESKO'S GAME PREPARATION
Smesko's game preparation is one of the most crucial factors in the Eagles' all-time success.  Last season, the team went 14-2 in games when they had four or more days to prepare.  In 13 seasons, Smesko holds a record of 110-20 in games with that much time for preparing for a win percentage of 84 percent. 
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
On the heels of four-consecutive regular season championships and the team's second Atlantic Sun Championship in three years, the Eagles were once against picked to win the Atlantic Sun in the annual preseason coaches' poll.
 
With 62 points and six first-place votes, the Eagles finished four points ahead of in-state rival Stetson University.  The Hatters garnered two first-place votes to finish second in the poll with 58 points. The Green and Blue picked up 11 first-place votes in the media poll for 123 total points, with Stetson earning four top nods and 104 total points.
 
The 2013-14 defending Atlantic Sun Champions earned three wins over the Hatters last season, including the regular season finale and the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Final. With help from those wins, the Eagles finished with their fourth-straight regular season title and earned their second tournament championship title in three seasons.
 
In addition to the team's predicted success, three individuals also garnered preseason All-Conference accolades.  As a former First Team All-Conference member, Knight picked up the Player of the Year nod, while Cobb and Haas also earned spots on the 10-member Preseason All-Conference team.
 
MID-MAJOR MADNESS
After concluding the 2013-14 season ranked at no. 10 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25, the Eagles opened the season at no. 11. Since then, the Green and Blue jumped to no. 5 and currently stand at no. 4, behind only James Madison, Green Bay and Princeton. Of the team's opponents this season, five rank among the top-25 – Wichita State (7), Stetson (13), Cal-State Northridge (18), Quinnipiac (21) and Arkansas State (25), while Harvard and Northern Colorado are also receiving votes.
 
1. James Madison       6. Gonzaga
2. Green Bay              7. Wichita State
3. Princeton                8. UALR
4. FGCU                     9. Albany
5. Chattanooga           10. South Dakota State
*as of Dec. 9
 
FOR MORE INFO
For all the details on the matchup check out: 
 
UP NEXT
Following Wednesday's contest, the Eagles will break for the weekend before traveling across the Sunshine State to take on Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach Wednesday, Dec. 17. The Green and Blue are 3-0 against the Wildcats with a win in each of the last three seasons.
 
Single-game tickets for all FGCU women's basketball games are on sale online at FGCUAthletics.com, over the phone at 239-590-7145 or in person at the Alico Arena Box Office.
 
Group sales for women's basketball games are available for parties of 20 or more at a discounted rate.  Beginning this season, groups will receive the opportunity for to upgrade their package to include chairback seats, a PA announcement and a special FGCU group T-Shirt at a cost of $10.
 
For up-to-the minute information on the FGCU women's basketball team, stay tuned to FGCUAthletics.com and follow the official Twitter of FGCU women's basketball at @FGCU_WBB.
 
Head coach Karl Smesko earned his fourth-consecutive Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year award after a successful 2013-14 campaign. Under his direction, the team completed the season with a record of 26-8, including a 17-1 mark in conference action and won the program's 300th win in January. Smesko guided the Eagles to their fourth-consecutive regular season championship and went undefeated in the A-Sun Conference tournament to win their second Tournament Championship in three seasons.  The 2013-14 season marked the 10th-consecutive season in which a Smesko coached team won at least 20 games.  He has recorded 320 wins at FGCU with 117 Atlantic Sun victories.  The five-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year ranks among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher.  Smesko joins Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group.