FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball draws a 12-seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament and will face the fifth-seeded/No. 17 Oklahoma (22-9, 15-3 Big 12) in the First Round in Bloomington, Indiana.
FGCU's First Round matchup will be played Saturday, March 23 at 4 p.m. on ESPNews. For tickets, visit https://shorturl.at/jxyGV.
Saturday, FGCU captured its seventh consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title, defeating No. 3 Central Arkansas 76-47 at Alico Arena to punch its ticket back to the Big Dance for the 10th time in program history.
The Eagles' resume for the 2024 NCAA Tournament comprised of a 29-4 record a 22-game win streak, a top 25 win over No. 18 North Carolina, a perfect 16-0 record in conference play, ASUN regular season and tournament champion status, ranked No. 2 overall in CollegeInsider.com's Mid Major Top 25 Poll, a NET Ranking of No. 54 and home to the ASUN Player of the Year. Only FGCU and UConn have won at least 25 games over the last 14 seasons.
The madness officially begins March 20-21 with the First Four. The First Round will start March 22-23, and there is no time to rest, as the Second Round commences right afterward on March 24-25. All NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
The upset-minded Eagles have earned its reputation as matchup nightmare in the tournament with its #Raining3s attack, a 5-12 matchup that no one wants to face. Just a season ago, FGCU upset fifth-seeded Washington State to become the winningest 12th seed in NCAA Tournament history. FGCU has emerged as a 12-seed in the tournament now six times.
Head coach Karl Smesko has directed FGCU to an NCAA Tournament victory in its last two appearances, taking down fifth-seeded Virginia Tech in 2022. The Eagles are 4-9 all-time in the Big Dance, eyeing their first-ever Sweet 16 run. Three of its four wins have occurred as a 12 seed.
FGCU has earned as high as seven seed back in 2015, notching its first NCAA Tournament win that same season by lassoing 10th-seeded Oklahoma State 75-67.
