FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball hosts Montana State at 6 p.m. Monday for Ugly Sweater Night at Alico Arena.
All fans in attendance will be entered to win the 12 Prizes of Christmas giveaway. Eagle fans are also encouraged to donate toys for the toy drive in the Alico Arena lobby. Those who donate will go home with a limited-edited FGCU ornament. Kris Kringle (Santa) himself will make an appearance in Fort Myers to take in the Eagles Monday night.
Tickets start at just $12 for general admission. Eagles fans can create and select their own mini-plan of four-, six-, or nine-game packages starting at $44. For more information on single-game and season tickets, please click here or call the FGCU Ticket Office at 1-866-FGCU-TIX (866-324-8449).
FGCU will square off against the Bobcats for the first time in program history. The Eagles are 2-1 all-time against current members of the Big Sky Conference with wins over Northern Colorado and Montana. The last time FGCU faced off against a Big Sky team was 2016, eight years ago as FGCU suffered a 77-74 defeat to Northern Colorado out in Greeley, Colorado. Monday will mark just the second time a Big Sky opponent has made the trip down to the City of Palms.
Montana State has won the Big Sky regular season or tournament title in six of the last nine seasons, while FGCU has won eight straight Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament titles. FGCU is third overall in wins the last three seasons with 92 victories, trailing only South Carolina (109) and UConn (94). In fact, FGCU has posted three 30-win campaigns over the last five years. Only FGCU and UConn have posted 14 consecutive seasons of 25 or more wins.
The Bobcats have registered five of the program's eight 20-win seasons in the last nine years. Both FGCU and Montana State are 7-2 on the year. FGCU is coming off eight days of rest, while it's been nine days since Montana State last played, an 82-80 road loss to Oral Roberts in overtime. The Bobcats have 11 players listed six-foot or taller. FGCU has just two on the roster.
Despite such, the Eagles possess a top-10 scoring defense, ranking No. 8 overall in the category by allowing just 51.7 points per game. FGCU has held its last two opponents to under 50 points and has limited eight of its nine opponents to under 60 points this season.
Offensively, threes will be flying Monday as both FGCU and Montana State are top 25 in 3-point attempts per game. FGCU averages 8.4 made threes per game, while Montana State has hit 8.3 per outing. Alahna Paige took home the ASUN Newcomer of the Week Award last Monday for her contributions against Ave Maria and New College of Florida. Paige hit seven triples in a season-high 23 points against Ave Maria.
FGCU has knocked down 300 or more made threes for 15 straight seasons, leading the country in made threes in five out of the last seven seasons. The Eagles produced 325 treys a season ago, placing sixth overall in the nation. The Green and Blue set the NCAA record for the most made threes in a single season in 2018 with 431.
In the polls, the Eagles climbed up to No. 5 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. FGCU has not fallen lower than No. 7 this season. Montana State received 93 votes for No. 26 overall in the latest edition of the rankings.
FGCU aims to extend the nation's second-longest home win streak Monday, from 37 to 38 consecutive wins at the nest. The last FGCU home loss occurred over two years ago, Dec. 11, 2022, against Duke. (736 days)
First-year head coach Chelsea Lyles remains undefeated, 7-0, after taking over for now Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko just two games into the season. Lyles is the only active head coach across the DI women's college basketball landscape to still hold a perfect career record.
Preseason ASUN Player of the Year Emani Jefferson leads the Eagles in scoring with 12.8 points per game. Maddie Antenucci is also averaging double digits at 10.8 points per game.
