FORT MYERS, Fla. – First-place and undefeated Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball heads to Kentucky to face Bellarmine at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and EKU at 2 p.m. Saturday.
FGCU (19-3, 10-0 ASUN) glides up to the Bluegrass State on a 12-game win streak, surviving a 45-35 defensive battle against Austin Peay last Saturday to win its 43rd straight game against Atlantic Sun Conference opponents. FGCU has won all 10 of its conference games this season by double-digits and with the win, clinched a spot in the upcoming ASUN Tournament on March 7-15, hosted at campus sites. Second-place Central Arkansas trails the Green and Blue by one game in the regular season race, sitting at 9-1.
The Eagles possess the nation's third-best scoring defense, allowing just 52.2 points per game. FGCU has held seven opponents to 50 points or less and has held all 22 opponents to under 64 points. FGCU has forced 10 or more turnovers in every game this season and 20 or more eight times.
FGCU is slowly beginning to grab some national attention. The Green and Blue has received votes in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll for the fifth consecutive week, earning two votes in this week's poll. In the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, the Eagles remained perched at No. nine overall. The Eagles started at No. two in the poll and have not dropped lower than 16. FGCU is 19-1 under first-year head coach Chelsea Lyles.
FGCU defeated Bellarmine 80-63 four games ago on Jan. 23. Bellarmine scored the most points that FGCU has allowed all season (63), but the Eagles countered with a double-double performance from Lauryn Taylor, 15 points and 12 rebounds. Taylor has recorded seven double-doubles this season, six in league play. Her 9.1 rebounds per game ranks second in the ASUN. FGCU is 6-0 all-time against the Knights and will be making just its fourth-ever trip to Knight Hall. The Knights are currently tied for sixth at 14-9 overall and 5-5 in conference.
Emani Jefferson, the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging a Top 25 shooting percentage this season to go along with her team-leading 14 points per game. Jefferson's 58 percent mark from the floor ranks No. 20 nationally. Behind the arc, Dolly Cairns is No. 16 in 3-point shooting percentage, shooting 44.6 percent from deep with 45 made threes.
FGCU is 13-0 on the year when the Eagles hit eight or more trifectas in a game. The Eagles have averaged 8.5 made threes per game this season, coming in at No. 25 overall in the category in a slightly revamped Chelsea Lyles offense.
Looking ahead to Saturday, the Eagles have already defeated EKU this season as well, 86-65 on Jan. 2 behind another double-double performance from Taylor with 16 points and 12 boards this time around. EKU is tied alongside Bellarmine for sixth place in the ASUN at 15-8 and 5-5 in league play. FGCU is 4-1 all-time against the Colonels and has never played in Richmond, Kentucky.
