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Linwood Ferguson

Women's Basketball Angela Tegnelia (@AngelaTegnelia)

@FGCU_WBB Battles Jacksonville for Top Spot in the ASUN Conference

Matchup: FGCU (16-6, 5-0 ASUN) vs. Jacksonville (16-4, 5-0 ASUN)
When: Saturday, Jan. 28 | 4 PM (DH)
Where: Fort Myers, Fla. | Alico Arena
Rankings: FGCU: #17 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, 102 RPI | Jacksonville: #23 CollegeInsider.cm Mid-Major Top 25, 76 RPI
Series: FGCU leads, 18-2
Coaches: Karl Smesko: (15th season @ FGCU, 395-79; 18th overall, 456-106) | Yolett McPhee McCuin: (4th season @ Jacksonville 59-51; same overall)
Promotions: Red Out | Youth Night| Laces of Love
Links: Video | Live Stats | Twitter | Game Notes | Tickets
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – This Saturday, the Eagles will be out for revenge as the FGCU women's basketball team goes toe to toe with Jacksonville in a battle for the league's top spot.
 
THE LAST TIME
With a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line, the top-seeded 2015-16 Eagles hosted No. 2 JU in last year's ASUN championship. FGCU had won 45-straight against conference foes heading into the game. In a heartbreaking upset, the Eagles dropped a 56-54 result in the title game, giving JU its first-ever ASUN Championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can find a live broadcast of the game on ESPN3. Live stats will also be available from StatBroadcast. For those looking to attend the game and support your FGCU Eagles, tickets can be purchased online at FGCUTickets.com or by calling the university's ticket office at 239-590-7145.
 
FAST FACTS
^ With 5-0 league records, FGCU and Jacksonville are the only ASUN teams that remain undefeated in conference play.
 
^  FGCU and Jacksonville are the only ASUN teams holding opponents under 60 points. The Eagles' scoring defense is ranked 30th in the nation at 56.9 points per game, while Jacksonville is 39th at 57.9 points per game.
 
^ FGCU has won 42-straight regular season ASUN contests with its last loss taking place on Feb. 1, 2014 against Northern Kentucky.
 
^ The Eagles' RPI jumped from 144 to 102 since the conference play began.
 
^ The Eagles are a perfect 11-0 at home this season and have won their last 10 straight. FGCU's last loss was to Big Ten foe Illinois.

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE
> The Dolphins are riding a seven-game winning streak. They most recently welcomed Lipscomb to Jacksonville, and recorded an 84-60 win. Brandi Buie finished the night with a career-high 28 points and seven steals. The scoring tally tied a JU record for the third most in a single game.
 
> The Dolphins are the only team in the ASUN with a double-digit rebounding margin (10.2) and rank ninth in the nation in the category.
 
> Jacksonville is shooting an ASUN-best 37.7 percent from downtown; Sherranda Reddick leads all league players at 42.2 percent.
 
> JU is the only team with three players in the top-10 in the ASUN in scoring. Reddick leads the league with 18.8 points per game, while Brandi Buie adds 14.0 and Christin Mercer notches 12.1.
 
KEY PLAYERS
4 Brandi Buie - Buie scored the game-winning basket with three seconds remaining to capture a 56-54 victory over the Eagles in last year's ASUN Championship.
 
13 Kimberly Dawkins - Dawkins was named the ASUN's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and ranks second in the league in rebounds per game (8.2) and blocks per game (1.6).
 
22 Sherranda Reddick - Reddick currently owns 1,558 points in her four-year career and is the Dolphins' all-time leading scorer. She currently leads in the conference in points per game (18.8) and three-point percentage (.422).
 
RAINING THREES
The team's moniker Raining Threes isn't just for show.  FGCU has made an incredible 4,290 3-pointers in 15 seasons for an average of nine per game. The Eagles are riding a 357-game streak with at least one three ball and have made a long-range shot in 472 of 473 games in program history.
 
ASUN SUCCESS
The Eagles joined the ASUN for the 2007-08 season and immediately saw success among the conference ranks. The team has won six-straight regular-season championships with a record of 101-4 over that span. The Eagles have won seven total regular-season championships and have never finished lower than second in the final conference standings. FGCU holds a record of 150-13 all-time in conference games and maintains an 85-2 record in ASUN games played at Alico Arena. Since earning postseason eligibility during the 2011-12 season, the Eagles have won three of four ASUN Tournament Championships.
 
ASUN LEADERS
This season the Eagles are leading the ASUN in scoring defense (56.9 pg), assists (15.5 pg), FG made (576), 3pt FG made (222), 3pt FGs per game (10.1) and turnover margin (6.23).
 
STREAKING
The Eagles have now won 42-straight regular season ASUN contests, with their last loss taking place on Feb. 1, 2014 against Northern Kentucky. FGCU is just two wins away from tying its all-time record of 44 consecutive conference victories. The Eagles' streak stands as the second-longest active regular season conference win streak in the NCAA behind UConn, which has won 61-straight.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
FGCU is a perfect 11-0 at home so far this season. The Eagles have won 72-straight conference home games in the regular season - the longest active win streak in the nation.
 
FLORIDA FOES
Since transitioning to Division I in 2007, the Eagles hold a record of 84-19 over teams from the state of Florida.
 
THREES IN 2016-17
The Eagles have made the second most three-pointers in the NCAA so far this season with 222 in 22 games. Their average of 10.1 per contest ranks fifth in the nation.
 
TEAM                         3FG Made
1. Washington           225
2. FGCU                        222  
3. Saint Francis (PA) 214
4. DePaul                      207  
5. Sacramento St.       203
 
RECAPPING USC UPSTATE
The FGCU women's basketball team topped 90 points for the third time this season in a dominating 50-point win over USC Upstate. The Eagles' 93-43 victory extended their win streak to 10. The game also marked FGCU's 150th conference win since joining the ASUN in 2007.
 
After allowing 18 points in the first seven minutes of the game, the Eagles gave up only 19 to the Spartans over the next 28 minutes before subbing out their starters.
 
Nelson led the team with 18 points, 10 of which came from the first five minutes of play. Her hot start opened up the floor for others as the game went on. In total, five Eagles reached double-figure scores, while 12 different players scored a basket.
 
While FGCU posted impressive numbers from a scoring perspective, its much improved rebounding made the biggest difference in the game. The Eagles shattered their previous season-high of 48 boards, pulling down a total of 62, which sets an Division I program record and ties FGCU's all-time record.
 
The Green and Blue also set season records with 21 offensive rebounds that they converted into 17 second-chance points.
 
Adderly led the Eagles on the boards with 13 rebounds. Four other players collected more than five boards, while 12 out of 13 who saw game action snagged at least one.
 
UP NEXT
The Green and Blue travel to Jacksonville next weekend to take on the Ospreys of UNF on Saturday Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. before once again facing JU on Monday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.
 
SMESKO
Head coach Karl Smesko earned his sixth-consecutive ASUN Coach of the Year award with a successful 2015-16 campaign and was named the espnW Mid-Major Coach of the Year. Under his direction, the team has compiled two-straight 30-win seasons with four perfect ASUN regular-season slates in the last five years. The team earned its first top-25 ranking and a third NCAA Tournament appearance as a seven seed in 2014-15 where FGCU won its first ever DI NCAA Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 30 wins and counting this year, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 12-straight 20 win seasons.  He maintains a record of 395-79 at FGCU for a win percentage of 83.3 with a mark of 150-13 (92.0 W%) in ASUN contests and has led the team to an 86-1 (98.9) record in conference play in the last five seasons.  The six-time ASUN Coach of the Year earned his 400th career win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma, and holds a career record of 456-106 (81.1 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.
 
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