@FGCU_WBB Announces Home-And-Home With LSU

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU women's basketball team will get two more chances at knocking off a Power-5 school as the program has announced a home-and-home series with LSU.

The Green and Blue will open the series this coming year with a Dec. 19 matchup inside Alico Arena. The two teams will then play inside the Maravich Center on LSU's campus at a yet to be determined date in the 2020-21 season. The announcement also means FGCU will host a pair of Power-5 schools next year as Duke will also come to Alico Arena.

"We always want to challenge ourselves in the non-conference," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We always like to bring BCS schools to Alico Arena whenever possible and are excited about the addition of LSU to our schedule."

The Eagles have split two all-time matchups with LSU. Sarah Hansen scored a career-high 30 points, while Joyce Iamstrong (20) and Brittany Kennedy (10) combined with her to produce 69 of the team's 76 points in a six-point win inside Alico Arena on Dec. 28, 2012. The following season, with LSU ranked 12th in both national polls, FGCU fell 69-46 despite 15 points from Hansen.

FGCU vs the SEC
FGCU has five all-time wins against SEC schools, with the latest coming in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament over Missouri. In fact, they've won their past three matchups against the SEC and are 4-1 inside Alico Arena. In addition to LSU, they've also defeated Kentucky (2017), Auburn (2015) and Florida (2008).

03/17/18 - W 80-70 vs No. 17/15 Missouri (Stanford, Calif.)
12/08/17 - W 70-64 vs No. 20/23 Kentucky (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/30/15 - W 52-45 vs Auburn (Fort Myers, Fla.)
12/19/15 - L 65-60 vs No. 9/9 Mississippi State (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
11/20/14 - L 72-69 at Auburn (Auburn, Ala.)
12/17/13 - L 69-46 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
12/28/12 - W 76-70 vs LSU (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/23/12 - L 65-46 vs South Carolina (U.S. Virgin Islands)
03/21/11 - L 74-69 vs Florida (Fort Myers, Fla.)
11/14/08 - W 88-86 vs Florida (Fort Myers, Fla.)
03/24/08 - L 60-55 at Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
12/04/07 - L 78-52 at Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)

LSU finished 16-13 this past season, which included a 7-9 record in the SEC. The team's season ended with a second-round loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. Next year, they should be an experienced squad as the Tigers will lose just one senior, Shanice Norton, who was the team's fourth-leading scorer.

Season Ticket Information
Those interested in becoming new season-ticket holders for 2019-20 can do so by visiting the link below. Joining the Season Ticket Priority List requires a $100 non-refundable deposit which will be credited toward the complete price of the season tickets.

Join The 2019-20 Season Ticket Priority List

Fans can also join the new season-ticket wait list by contacting an Alico Arena Ticket Office representative over the phone at 239-590-7145 or by visiting Monday-Friday between 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The priority list will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Because nearly all Priority Level 1 and 2 season ticket locations were sold out in 2018-19, seating in these sections cannot be guaranteed for new purchasers. Seating location availability for new ticket packages will depend on renewals and upgrades of current season ticket holders. Like in the past, Eagles Club membership may be required for certain seats, with giving levels utilized for access to better locations.

Season-ticket renewal information, including pricing, Eagles Club membership requirements and renewal deadlines will be sent via email from the FGCU Ticket Office in mid-to-late May. To ensure contact information is up-to-date, fans are encouraged to fill out the form below.

FORM: Current Season Ticket Holder Contact Information

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2017-18 Eagles to another historic season. The Green and Blue finished 31-5 overall and 13-1 in ASUN play, capturing the program's eighth ASUN regular season championship and fifth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season ranked 25th in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, recaptured the NCAA record for most 3-point field goals made in a season with 431 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons, where the Eagles knocked off 5th-seeded and No. 15 ranked Missouri in the opening round. It was the team's second tournament win over the past three appearances. Over the course of the season, FGCU knocked off three ranked teams - No. 15 Missouri, No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 DePaul.

Over the past four seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30-plus win seasons while recording a 121-23 (.840) record overall. The now nine-time ASUN Coach of the Year (including 2018-19) rallied the 2016-17 team to its seventh straight 25-win campaign, culminating in an ASUN tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2015-16, he was named the espnW mid-major coach of the year following a run that witnessed the Eagles claim a WNIT runner-up finish and a Division-I program best ever 33-6 record. In 2014-15, the team achieved its first-ever top-25 ranking and made another trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the Eagles earned a No. 7 seed and won the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament game, toppling No. 10 seed Oklahoma State.

Including 2018-19, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons and nine-straight 25-win seasons. He maintains a record of 524-119 (.815) overall in his career, including a 186-16 (.921) mark in ASUN play. Over the past eight seasons (including 2018-19), he has guided FGCU to a 124-4 (.969) record in conference play with five undefeated seasons. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. Entering 2018-19, he ranked 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. Second-year NCAA Division-I head coaches Nancy Fahey (Illinois) and Bart Brooks (Belmont) pushed the list to six.

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.

SUPPORT THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Do you enjoy watching or following the FGCU women's basketball program? Would you like to play a role in the growth of the program and help take it to heights never before experienced? If so, you can reach out to Director of Advancement, Matt Ring, about opportunities to make an impact on the experiences of our student-athletes. He can be reached by email at mring@fgcu.edu or by office phone at 239-745-4434.

#FEEDFGCU
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.

ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 76 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 35 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the Spring, 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.

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