FGCU (15-4 | 3-0 A-Sun) at Lipscomb (3-15 | 0-3 A-Sun)
FGCU Head Coach: Karl Smesko | Walsh '97 | 14^th Season at FGCU: 360-71 (83.4%) | 17^th Season as Head Coach: 421-98 (80.8%)
Lipscomb Head Coach: Greg Brown | Lipscomb '93 | 4th Season at Lipscomb: 20-86 (18.8%)
When: Saturday, Jan. 23 | 6:30 p.m. local time (7:30 p.m. ET)
Where: Allen Arena | Nashville, Tenn.
Watch: ESPN3
Stats: via Statbroadcast
Game Series: FGCU leads 18-0 since first meeting in 2008
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – After facing a day's worth of travel delays due to Winter Storm Jonas, the FGCU women's basketball team will face Lipscomb University Saturday, Jan. 23 at Allen Arena. Originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local time, tipoff is now set for 6:30 p.m. local time – 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time – as part of a double header with the FGCU men's basketball team.
 
QUICK HITS:
- RAINING THREES: FGCU's 174 total 3-pointers made this season ranks eighth nationally with the 9.2 makes per game standing as the nation's ninth-best mark.
- The FGCU projected starting lineup of Atwater, Dunson, Gradinjan, Laughter and Knight has accounted for 83 percent of the team's scoring this year.
- It's been 42 days since the Eagles played a true road game. The team went 8-1 in that span with eight-straight 'W's and six-straight games at Alico Arena.
- FGCU is 18-0 against Lipscomb since the first meeting in 2008. The Eagles average 77 points per game against the Bisons.
- Since Whitney Knight's return from injury, FGCU has compiled a record of 9-1 with its only blemish as a five-point loss to No. 10 Mississippi State
- FGCU now stands as the nation's only program with both its men's and women's programs riding win streaks of seven games or more
- FGCU is 134-13 in A-Sun contests since 2007 with just one loss since the 2011-12 campaign. The team boasts three perfect seasons in the last five years for a record of 70-1 and has won five-straight regular season championships with six overall since joining the A-Sun.
 
After a six-game homestand, the Eagles continue Atlantic Sun Conference play on the road with an overall record of 15-4 and a conference mark of 2-0. The team began conference play with a win over rival Stetson and picked up wins over USC Upstate and NJIT last weekend. With the nonconference success and another strong start to the conference slate, the team currently holds an official RPI of 63.
 
Kaneisha Atwater (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Westwood High School/VCU) leads the team with an average of 15.6 points per game through the season's first 19 games. Atwater is also contributing 5.6 rebounds per contest and has added 64 assists and a team-best 31 steals.
 
Since her return from injury, senior Whitney Knight (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds High School) has averaged 10.8 points per game and has led the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. The reigning A-Sun Player of the Year earned her first start of the year against Quinnipiac and has guided the team to an 9-1 record since her return. Knight currently leads the A-Sun with 31 blocks and has converted 21 3-pointers in just 10 games.

Sophomores Haley Laughter (Asheville, N.C./Carolina Day) and Taylor Gradinjan (Cudahy, Wisc./Cudahy High School) have also contributed heavily on offense for the Green and Blue with 9.6 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Laughter and Gradinjan have combined for 82 of the team's 3-pointers and currently rank as the top-two long-range shooters in the conference.
Senior captain DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga./Westover High School) has dished out a team-high 91 assists and has added 5.8 points in a team-high 33.8 minutes per game. She has turned the ball over just 32 times and tops the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.84.
 
As a team, the Green and Blue have averaged 63.5 points per game with a 38.8 percent clip from the field. The Eagles have been narrowly outrebounded 35.4 to 37.8 boards per game but have held a heavy advantage in turnovers as the team has forced 16.8 turnovers per game with only 11.6 miscues per game to rank fourth nationally.
 
LIPSCOMB
The Lipscomb University Bisons host the Eagles in their first home contest of the Atlantic Sun Conference season. Lipscomb is 3-15 on the year with a 0-3 league record after dropping games to Kennesaw State, Jacksonville and North Florida. The team has lost 12-straight games but has seen games decided by 10 points or fewer six times this year.
 
The team went 8-21 a year ago with a 3-11 mark in conference play. The team returns two starters from last year's squad and was voted sixth in this season's preseason poll.
 
As a unit, the Bisons average 64.8 points per game but have allowed foes to 73.2 points per contest in 18 games this season. Lipscomb has shot 39.3 percent to rank fourth in the league and tops the conference with a 34.0 percent clip from 3-point range. The Bisons stand just behind FGCU with 7.3 long-range shots a game.
 
Senior Ashley Southern paces the Bisons and the league with 19.0 points per game. The post player had converted shots at a rate of 48.3 percent this season with 9.8 rebounds per game and 15 total blocks.  Alex Banks and Riley Northway contribute 9.3 and 9.5 points per game, respectively, while Loren Cagle has facilitated the offense with 135 total assists. The sophomore ranks among the nation's top five with 7.4 assists per game.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The nonconference slate put the Eagles up against seven top-100 teams and nine top-120 teams, giving the Green and Blue a strength of schedule rating of 91 according to RealTimeRPI. The team's resume includes four top-100 wins with victories at George Washington (RPI No. 36) and against Auburn (No. 66), Arizona (No. 80) and Western Michigan (No. 91). The losses to the top-tier teams came at the hands of Mississippi State (No.33), Ohio (No. 39) and Arkansas State (No. 58). FGCU also picked up a win over No. 118 Akron in the early goings.
 
MILESTONES MOUNTING
With such an experienced squad, several players on the team are within reach of program and conference records.
 
Dunson leads the team and ranks second in program history with 356 career assists.
 
FGCU CAREER ASSISTS

1	Shannon Murphy	2007-11	419
2	DyTiesha Dunson	2012-16	356
3	Megan Jones	2002-05	338
4	Adrianne McNally	2006-10	335
5	Courtney Chihil	2008-12	328

 
Whitney Knight tops the FGCU record book with 265 blocked shots in her career and is climbing the A-Sun records this season.
 
ATLANTIC SUN CAREER BLOCKS

1	Jessica Bobbit	Belmont 05-09	290
2	Whitney Knight	2012-16	265
3	Katie Beth Pate	Lipscomb 03-07	264
4	Albena Branzova	FIU 91-95	250
5	Denise Hogie	CoC 91-93	248

 
On the offensive end, Knight currently stands third all-time in career points, 130 points from the second position on the list.
 
FGCU CAREER POINTS

1	Sarah Hansen	2009-14	1,895
2	Adrianne McNally	2006-10	1,415
3	Whitney Knight	2012-16	1,285
4	Kelsey Jacobson	2008-12	1,251
5	Shannon Murphy	2007-11	1,185

 
Knight also ranks fourth in the FGCU record books with 166 career steals, 81 away from the program record.
 
FGCU CAREER STEALS

1	Sarah Hansen	2009-14	247
2	Courtney Chihil	2008-12	197
3	Shannon Murphy	2007-11	168
4	Whitney Knight	2012-16	166
5	Brittany Kennedy	2011-13	145

 
Knight entered the 2015-16 season with 516 career rebounds and will continue to climb the FGCU records. She currently stands fifth all-time and is on pace to finish second in the record books.
 
FGCU CAREER REBOUNDS

1	Sarah Hansen	2009-14	882
2	Adrianne McNally	2006-10	658
3	Robyn Swain	2002-04	640
4	Courtney Chihil	2008-12	601
5	Whitney Knight	2012-16	580

 
 
POWERFUL WINS
After defeating the Pac-12's Arizona in Puerto Rico before the holidays, the Eagles have now defeated at least one team from each of the Power Five conferences. With a home win over Auburn to end 2015, the team has picked up 11 total wins against the BCS programs.  – SEC: Auburn (Dec. 30, 2015), LSU (Dec. 28, 2012), Florida (Nov. 14, 2008); ACC: Clemson (Nov. 28, 2014) Virginia Tech (Dec. 16, 2012/Dec. 21, 2011/Nov. 25,2010), Big Ten: Michigan State (Nov. 19, 2011), Indiana (Dec. 21, 2010); Big 12: Oklahoma State (Mar. 21, 2015); Pac-12: Arizona (Dec. 20, 2015)
 
RAINING THREES
FGCU tops the Atlantic Sun with 9.2 3-pointers made her game and 174 long-range makes on the year. The Eagles' signature shot has produced 522 of the team's 1,206 points on the year. On the national stage, the total 3-pointers made rank eighth among the NCAA's 344 teams, while the makes per game mark stands at ninth. The team has consistently ranked among the nation's top 3-point shooters and holds the NCAA single-game record with 22 made on 41 attempts against ETSU on Jan. 12, 2013. The Eagles led the nation during the 2012-13 season with 342 long-range makes and followed with 319 in the 2013-14 season. That mark 342 now stands as the third-best performance in NCAA history. The team also sank 10.7 3-pointers per game in that season, an average that also stands as the third-best overall mark.
 
UP NEXT
Following the Saturday matchup in Nashville, the team will travel to face Kennesaw State Monday, Jan. 25 in a 7 p.m. tilt. The Eagles will then head to Jacksonville for a Saturday, Jan. 30 game against UNF.
 
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.
 
 
TICKET SALES
Season tickets for the 2015-16 season are still available. Ticket packages range from $133 for general admission to $366 for club-level seating. A complete breakdown is below. Fans can secure their season tickets by calling the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by emailing tickets@fgcu.edu.
 
For reserved seating, membership to the Eagles Club may be required depending on priority level. The Eagles Club is the official booster organization for FGCU Athletics which provides financial support for each of the Eagles' 15 Division-I programs. For a detailed seating map and additional ticket information, visit FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets.
 
Priority 1: $266
Priority 2: $166
General Admission: $133
 
Faculty and staff members as well as alumni association members interested in season tickets receive a 20 percent discount on packages. Combination packages with the FGCU men's basketball team are also available through the Ticket Office.
 
Single-game tickets for all FGCU women's basketball games are on sale.  Fans can purchase tickets online at FGCUAthletics.com, over the phone at 239-590-7145 or in person at the Alico Arena Box Office.
 
SMESKO
Head coach Karl Smesko earned his fifth-consecutive Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year award after a successful 2014-15 campaign. Under his direction, the team compiled a Division I program best record of 31-3, including a 14-0 mark in conference action and earned its first-ever national ranking. The team earned its third NCAA Tournament appearance as a seven seed and won its first ever DI NCAA Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 31 wins in the 2014-15 season, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 11-straight 20+ win seasons.  He maintains a record of 360-71 at FGCU for a win percentage of 83.4 with a mark of 134-13 (91 W%) in Atlantic Sun contests and has led the team to a 67-1 record in conference play in the last four seasons.  The six-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year earned his 400th career win last season in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma, and holds a career record of 421-98 (80.8 W%).  Smesko ranks among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.