The Matchup: Southern Miss. (6-1) @ FGCU (5-2)
When: Saturday, Dec. 6 | 7 p.m.
Where: Alico Arena (4,333)
Tickets: Available online or at the Alico Arena Ticket Office
Promotion: Fans are encouraged to wear blue for a Blue Out and to bring toy donations for Toys for Tots
Video: ESPN3 with David Moulton and J. Webb Horton
Live Stats: via Statbroadcast
Hashtags: #WingsUp | #WeAreFGCU | #RainingThrees
Series History: USM leads 1-0 with 76-74 win last year
Game Notes: FGCU  |  Southern Miss.  | Atlantic Sun
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – After earning the Island Division Tournament Championship at last week's Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the FGCU women's basketball team returns to Alico Arena to host the University of Southern Mississippi Saturday, Dec. 6. Tip off between the Eagles and Golden Eagles is set for 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
The game can be viewed live on ESPN3 free of charge with David Moulton and J. Webb Horton on the call.  Fans can also find live in-game updates on twitter (@FGCU_WBB) and through live stats available via StatBroadcast.
 
GAME DAY TWEETABLES
1. FGCU currently ranks third in the nation with 11.6 3-pointers made per game. The team sits behind only Sacramento State (13.5) and Ohio (12.2).
 
2. The Eagles sank 34 threes against opponents in the Virgin Islands, while allowing just 14 #RainingThrees
 
3. Junior Whitney Knight was named #ASunWBB Player of the Week after averaging 18.3 ppg & being named the Paradise Jam MVP.
 
4. For the sixth-straight season, the Eagles were selected to finish atop the
#ASunWBB standings.
 
5. Despite losing to OSU, the Eagles earned the Paradise Jam Island Division Championship by holding the advantage in point differential.
 
THE GREEN AND BLUE
FGCU returns to Alico with a record of 5-2 after going 2-1 last week in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 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.
 
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 currently leads all players with 15.1 points per game this season after scoring a career-high 28 points against Clemson at the Paradise Jam. Haas as contributed 13.7 points per contest, with Kaneisha Atwater (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Westover High School) and Jenna Cobb (New Holland, Ohio/Miami Trace High School/Butler) also producing double figures at 11.4 and 10.9 points per contest, respectively.
 
Knight leads the squad all around with 5.3 rebounds per game, 16 blocks and 15 steals on the year, while DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga./Westover High School) has dished out a team-high 30 assists in seven games so far.
 
As a unit, the Eagles average 83.0 points per game, while holding foes to 62.9 points per contest. The team holds a shooting percentage of .472 with a 3-point percentage of .407 so far this year. The Eagles rank third in the NCAA with 11.6 shots made from the perimeter. Defensively, the Green and Blue have been narrowly outrebounded, 36.4 to 34.7 per game this year but hold an advantage in turnovers, 12.4 to 19.6 and steals, 10.1 to 5.6.
 
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 record of 2-1 and the advantage in point differential, the Eagles took home the Island Division crown at the 2014 Paradise Jam last week. 
 
WICHITA STATE
In the first of three games, the Eagles defeated Wichita State 56-39 on Thanksgiving Day. 
 
The Eagles held the Shockers to just 13 points in the first half and extended the lead to a game-high 29 points with 55 percent shooting in the second half. Wichita State increased its point production in the final minutes of action but could not overcome the Eagles' game-long advantage as the Green and Blue ultimately took the 17-point victory.
 
CLEMSON
With 14 made shots from the perimeter, the team cruised to its second victory in as many days with an 86-61 win over Clemson Friday afternoon.
 
The Eagles sank 10 3-pointers with 8-of-10 made shots from the free-throw line in the first half to hold a 52-27 lead at the break. The Tigers shot 54.2 percent and matched FGCU's point production in the second half but were unable to catch the Green and Blue's lead as FGCU became the only undefeated team in the Island Division of the Paradise Jam.
 
OHIO STATE
With 11 made shots from the perimeter in the first half, the Eagles took a 41-36 lead into halftime. The Buckeyes pressured FGCU heavily outside in the second half and used several brief runs to close the gap. The Buckeyes took the lead on a 3-point shot with 6:42 to go and traded the advantage with the Eagles four times in the remaining minutes before sending the game to overtime with a 70-70 tie. OSU sank 12-of-18 free throws in the two overtime periods, compared to FGCU's 3-of-10 to edge the Eagles and take the seven-point victory.
 
ALL-TIME MEETINGS WITH THE GOLDEN EAGLES
FGCU met Southern Miss last season in Hattiesburg, Miss. in the opening weeks of the season. The Eagles fell narrowly in the first game between the opponents and currently hold a 0-1 record against the USM.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST SOUTHERN MISS.
In a back-and-forth battle at the Reed Green Coliseum, the team fell to the University of Southern Mississippi, 76-74 on Nov. 23, 2013.  The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Golden Eagles and moved to 3-1 on the year, while USM improved to 4-1.
 
After trailing by seven points early in the contest, FGCU gained composure and took control of the game.  The Eagles held a 42-31 lead at halftime and amplified the advantage to 17 points but saw as the home team increased the defensive pressure and held FGCU to zero field goals over a span of eight minutes.  USM fought through the end of the match and reclaimed the lead in the final minute to take the win.
 
Then senior Sarah Hansen (McKean, Pa./General McLane High School) led the Eagles with a season-high 24 points on the night, while recorded a career-high 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting.  Cobb also contributed double-figure points for FGCU with 10 points.
 
Hansen and Haas both pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
 
SCOUTING THE VISITORS
• Southern Miss. comes to Southwest Florida with a record of 6-1 on the season. The Golden Eagles have produced two three-game win streaks with a two-point loss at McNeese as the year's only blemish. The team returns four starters from a squad that went 27-7 last season with a 13-3 record in Conference-USA action.
 
• The Golden Eagles were selected to finished third among Conference USA's 14 teams, behind just Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky. In the preseason voting, Tamara Jones earned a spot on the Preseason All-Conference team after being voted as the C-USA Newcomer of the Year a season ago.
 
• Jones currently leads the team with 13.0 points per game, while two others add double figures. The senior is shooting 58.8 percent from the field with 6.3 rebounds per game. Jerontay Clemons and Kierra Jordan add 11.0 and 10.9 points per game, respectively, with Clemons also pulling down 6.3 rebounds per contest. Clemons and Jordan pace the team with eight 3-pointers a piece with Clemons possessing a team-best 17 steals through seven games. Point guard Alex Coyne has made up for the loss of last year's national assist leader Jamierra Faulkner - who graduated last year - with 27 assists. Faulkner scored 17 points with 12 assists in last year's battle in Mississippi, leaving 72 percent of the team's scoring to make the trip to Fort Myers.
 
• As a unit, Southern Miss. has averaged 74 points per game, while holding opponents to 54.7. The Eagles hold a success rate of 49.4 percent from the field with a 41.6 percent mark from 3-point range. USM has been outrebounded by opponents by a margin of just one board per game but has held the turnover advantage at 16.9 to 23.7 per contest.
 
• Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis - a former player with the Golden Eagles - is in her 11th season with USM. She holds a win percentage of 45.3 with 111 wins and 134 losses at USM.
 
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 (9), Stetson (12), Cal-State Northridge (18), Quinnipiac (20) and Harvard (23).
 
1. James Madison     6. Gonzaga
2. Green Bay             7. Albany
3. Princeton               8. UALR
4. FGCU                    9. Wichita State
5. Chattanooga          10. Central Michigan
 
SMESKO'S PREPERATION
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 109-20 in games with that much time for preparing for a win percentage of 84 percent. 
 
FOR MORE INFO
For all the details on the matchup check out:
 
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's contest, the Eagles will continue a short home stand as they host the Big East's Providence Thursday, Dec. 11. Tip-off against the Friars is set for 7 p.m. at Alico Arena.
 
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 314 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.