FGCU WBB: FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Classic Preview

The FGCU women's basketball team (10-3) returns home for their next game as they compete in the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Classic. FGCU welcomes Harvard (5-4), Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (3-6) and Akron (5-4) to the tournament.

Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off a 68-61 loss to Chattanooga and are hoping to bounce back.

Redshirt senior Taylor Grandijan (1,032 career points) had six points against Chattanooga and currently sits 9th all-time in career points. Grandijan is 31 points away from surpassing Katie Schrader (1,062 career points) for 8th all-time. The Cudahy, Wisconsin native also sit 3rd all-time in career three pointers made (249) and is 46 away from surpassing Whitney Knight for 2nd all-time (294).

Sophomore Tytionia Adderly had 12 rebounds against Chattanooga and is averaging nine rebounds per game. The Jupiter native currently sits 8th all-time in offensive rebounds (146) and is 30 away from surpassing Courtney Chihil for 7th all-time (183).

For the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Classic, FGCU will play Harvard and SIUE, but will not play Akron. FGCU defeated Akron earlier in the season at the Akron Classic by a score of 82-63.

Scouting Harvard:
The Crimson recently played the last two games on the road. They would lose 86-64 against Temple, but would beat Northeastern 79-69.

Sophomore guard Katie Banzen leads the way offensively for the Crimson. The 5-6 guard is scoring 14.8 points per game and is coming off a 27 point game game against Northeastern.

Sophomore forward Jeannie Boehm is averaging 10.7 points per game and 2.8 blocks per game. Defensively, Boehm has a team-leading 25 total blocks for the Crimson.

Series History vs Harvard:
This is the third time the Eagles and the Crimson will meet. FGCU is currently 2-0 against Harvard. They won 68-58 at Harvard on January 2, 2015 and 74-65 at home on December 5, 2015.

Scouting SIU-Edwardsville:
The Cougars are currently on a five-game losing streak after losing to Illinois State, A-SUN rival Stetson, Central Michigan, Missouri and Northern Illinois. SIUE will play Akron prior to FGCU in the tournament.

Players for SIUE include redshirt senior forward Lauren White, senior guard Donshel Beck and senior forward Gwen Adams.

White is averaging 14 points per game. Despite the loss to Northern Illinois, White is coming off the game after scoring 28 points.

Beck is averaging 11.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Last game, Beck secured a double-double (17 points and 13 rebounds) against Northern Illinios.

Adams, whose played mainly off the bench is leading the team in three point percentage (72.7%) while averaging 6.8 points per game. Adams had five points last game.

Series History vs SIU-Edwardsville:
This is the second time both FGCU and SIUE will meet. FGCU won 73-68 the first time on March 6, 2011.

Scouting Akron:
FGCU will not be facing Akron in the tournament. The Eagles faced the Zaps earlier in the season at the Akron Classic where they were victorious with a 82-63 win.

The Zips are coming of a 99-33 win over NAIA Ohio Christian University. FGCU is 2-0 against Akron including the prior game.

Offensively, redshirt junior guard Megan Sefcik leads the team with 12.9 points per game. Sefcik is coming off a 32 point game where she was 10-16 at the 3 point line.

Sophomore forward Haliegh Reinoehl leads the team in rebounds and is averaging 8.3 rebounds per game.

Sophomore guard Shaunay Edmonds is second behind Sefcik with 11.1 points per game.

Akron will play SIUE at 4:30 PM and FGCU will play Harvard at 7 PM on Wednesday December 20. On Thursday December 21, Akron will play Harvard at 4:30 PM before FGCU wraps up the tournament against SIUE at 7 PM.

The game against Harvard is dubbed a Blue Out with a event dubbed "Pizza for Finals" while the game against SIUE is promoting the Toys for Tots charity.