FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU women's basketball team (12-3) will return from the holiday break with a pair of home games against South Dakota State University (10-3) and Florida Memorial University (8-5) on Friday and Saturday.

It will be the first action for FGCU since defeating SIU Edwardsville on Dec. 21, and the Florida Memorial game will represent the final non-conference game of the season for the Eagles.

The Green and Blue
FGCU has won two straight and six of seven entering this weekend.

The Eagles have faced the 61st toughest schedule in the nation up to this point. They lead the nation in 3-point field goals attempted (508) and 3-point field goals made (182). On top of that, they are second in 3-point field goals made per game (12.1) and 62nd in 3-point field goal percentage. 

FGCU also ranks in the top 30 nationally in points (5th, 1,145), field goals made (t-10th, 394), field goals attempted (5th, 922), turnovers per game (28th, 12.9), turnover margin (27th, 5.73), steals (15th, 140), rebounds (30th, 540), free throw attempts (29th, 261) and assists (16th, 228).

Individually, Taylor Gradinjan (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy HS) ranks eighth nationally in 3-point field goals attempted (109) and 10th in 3-point field goals made (44). She is also 12th in minutes played (473), and she leads the team in plus-minus at +11.73. In addition, she needs 13 points to pass Kate Schrader (1,062, 2005-07) for 8th place on the program's career scoring list. She needs 86 more to pass Stephanie Haas (1,135, 2012-16) for 7th place on the program's Division-I scoring list. In the win over Harvard, Gradinjan (427) moved past Katie Meador (422, 2012-16) for 7th place on the program's career rebounding list.

Outside of Gradinjan's 10.4 PPG, Rosemarie Julien (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Treasure Coast HS) leads the team at 13.0 PPG, while Nasrin Ulel (Murrietta, Calif./Murrietta HS) is the team's second leading scorer at 10.9 PPG. Tytionia Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) leads the team at 8.3 per contest.

South Dakota State Preview
With the matchup against South Dakota State, which is being presented by Papa John's, FGCU will have the chance to bolster its postseason resume against the nation's No. 2 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major team.

South Dakota State (10-3) will travel across the country and out of the friendly confines of South Dakota, where the Jackrabbits have fared much better than on the road. In fact, since 2009-10, they have compiled a 108-19 (.850) record at home, while recording a 94-65 (.591) record in away or neutral site games. This year, they are 6-1 at home and 4-2 away from home.

The Jackrabbits haven't shied away from a tough schedule, though. They defeated No. 23 NC State 75-67 on Nov. 24 in Fort Lauderdale, took down Oklahoma 67-61 on Dec. 6 at home and lost to current No. 3 Louisville 68-64 on Dec. 3 at home in a game they led for a decent portion. On top of that, the team fell to current No. 1 ranked mid-major and No. 19 Green Bay 55-41 on the road.

In its win over Wichita State, the Jackrabbits picked up the program's 950th win in its 52nd year. The team, which began its Division-I transition in 2004-05, is now 950-413 overall.

Head coach Aaron Johnston is in his 18th season at South Dakota State, and he is the longest tenured head coach in The Summit League, where he was named the league's coach of the year in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014. He has led the program to 14 seasons of 20 or more wins, including 10 of the past 11 seasons, and the team has made 10 straight postseason appearances (7 NCAA and 3 WNIT).

The Jackrabbits are led by Macy Miller, a redshirt junior guard who was named The Summit League player of the week last week for the third time this season. She recorded her sixth game of 20 or more points, and the 19th of her career, in a 96-64 win over Wichita State. She went 9-for-9 from the field with a career-high eight assists. Overall, Miller has led her team in scoring in 10 of 13 games this year. She is shooting .457 from 3-point range and .472 overall from the field while averaging a team-high 17.6 points per contest.

Including Miller (1,343), South Dakota State has three 1,000 point scorers on its roster. The others are Madison Guebert (1,025) and Ellie Thompson (1,075). Guebert, who averages 13.9 PPG, ranks fifth nationally in FT percentage at 93.8 percent (45-for-48). In fact, the team is 201-255 (.788) overall, which is eighth best in the nation. They are also 12th in the nation in FT made, 18th in 3-point field goals attempted (320) and 26th in 3-point field goals made (103).

Despite having nine players who are at least 6-0 or taller, the team's leading rebounder is Tagyn Larson at 5.8 per game. On top of that, only two players have compiled the team's three double-digit rebounding efforts this year. Larson has two of them, while Chynna Stevens had 14 in the team's season opening win over NJIT. Five players are averaging at least five per game - Larson, Miller (5.3), Myah Selland (5.3), Thompson (5.3) and Stevens (5.2). That group pulls down 26.9 of South Dakota State's 40.2 rebounds per game.

Behind Miller and Guebert, Selland (9.8 PPG) is the team's third leading scorer. Miller leads the team in assists with 2.8 per contest, while Alexis Alexander has 19 steals. Larson and Thompson each lead the way with 15 blocks apiece.

Florida Memorial Preview
The Lions have won three straight entering Saturday's game. Outside of their five losses, the team has lost a pair of exhibition games to Florida Tech and Barry University by double digits.

This will be the third NAIA team out of the Sun Conference that FGCU has played this year. The Eagles have already defeated Southeastern 76-66 and Ave Maria 99-35.

Series History
Combined, FGCU is 10-0 all-time against South Dakota State and Florida Memorial, including a 9-0 record against Florida Memorial. In the only meeting against the Jackrabbits, FGCU picked up an 84-59 win on Nov. 29, 2013 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Despite a 9-0 record against the Lions, the two teams haven't met since Feb. 6, 2006. The largest win came on Jan. 22, 2005 with a 104-56 win in Alico Arena. The Eagles also won 70-27 on Feb. 6, 2006 and four of the nine wins have come at home.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko rallied the 2016-17 Eagles to their seventh-straight 25-win campaign, which culminated in the team's fourth NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons of eligibility. The seven-time ASUN Coach of the Year was named the espnW Mid-Major Coach of the Year in 2015-16 following a run that witnessed the Eagles finish a best-ever 33-6. Over a five-year stretch starting in 2011-12, FGCU racked up four ASUN seasons with a perfect record and capped the run with back-to-back 30 plus win seasons. In 2014-15, the team earned its first top-25 ranking and another NCAA Tournament trip as a seven seed, where FGCU won its first ever NCAA Division-I Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 26 wins in 2016-17, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 13-straight 20-win seasons.  He maintains a record of 416-85 (.830) at FGCU, including a 160-15 (.914) mark in ASUN play. Over the past six seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 93-3 (.969) record in conference play. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. He holds a career head coaching record of 477-112 (.810). 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.