In a wave of white, the FGCU men's basketball team (10-15, 5-5 A-SUN) managed to get their payback and split the series as they defeated North Alabama (8-17, 5-5 A-SUN) 71-64. With the win, the Eagles are now 1-3 against the Lions.
"I was really proud of our fight and effort tonight, especially against a team that's as competitive as (North Alabama). (UNA) coach (Tony) Pujol is a good friend of mine. His team fights and claws for everything, and he's doing a tremendous job with that program," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "That's as tough a team as we've played all year, and to our guys' credit we were able to find a way to win. There were a couple of times the game could have swung in the wrong direction for us, but we had everyone step up tonight and make big plays down the stretch. I think we are still progressing and getting better every day. As long as we continue to get better, the scoreboard will take care of itself."
Freshman Zach Scott scored a team-high 17 points and continued his torrid pace as of late. The true freshman went 6 of 8 overall and 5 of 6 from 3-point land. He has scored in double figures in all five of FGCU's last five victories, and he has notched at least 14 in three of his last four. Senior Dinero Mercurius continues to shine off the bench, as he poured in four triples and landed on 16 points. Fellow senior Schadrac Casimir added 13 points, while true freshman Caleb Catto dropped 11.
The Eagles shot 46.0 percent (23-for-50) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from 3-point territory and 83.3 percent (15-for-18) at the free-throw stripe. The Lions posted shooting percentages of 37.0 (20-for-54) overall, 27.6 (8-for-29) from deep and 69.6 (16-for-23) at the line.
Freshman Christian Agnew scored a game-high 23 points for UNA, while fellow freshman Jamari Blackmon used up 13 shots to finish with 14 points.
The initial feeling-out process saw a timid pace through the opening five minutes of action, but a methodical 9-0 run from the home side saw FGCU build a 19-10 lead at the midway point of the first half. The largest lead of the game for the Eagles came at the 9:03 mark when they soared ahead 24-13. North Alabama slowly began to chip away throughout the remainder of the opening stanza, however, and even secured a three-point advantage before Scott knocked down a 3-point basket on FGCU's final possession to send the two sides into intermission locked at 31-31.
The steady opening 20 minutes made way to a frantic second half where the lead seesawed back and forth in the early moments. Neither team could find a cushion of more than five points all the way until Scott connected on yet another 3-pointer at the 7:06 mark to give the Green and Blue a 54-47 lead. Mercurius knocked down a rare fast-break triple with 5:42 to play to push FGCU's lead out to 59-50. UNA would not go down quietly, however, as they stifled the Eagle offense and used a 10-2 run to get within 61-60 with just two minutes to play. The home side regained its composure and immediately stretched the lead back out to seven over the next minute of action thanks to four critical points from Casimir and a layup from Catto. From that point on, clutch free throws from Catto and junior RaySean Scott Jr. sealed the game for the Green and Blue.
FGCU won the turnover battle (12-15) and also led in assists (15-6), blocks (4-1), steals (8-5), points in the paint (24-18), points off turnovers (21-10), fast-break points (11-2), and bench points (31-9).
The win was the first in school history against North Alabama. The Lions still lead the brief all-time series 3-1, but FGCU was able to exact revenge after UNA topped the Eagles 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
Up Next:
FGCU faces a difficult test on the road at Liberty. The Eagles and Flames will lock up at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Saturday clash will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will feature a rematch from earlier this season that saw LU knock off FGCU in Fort Myers.
About Me
FGCU MBB vs North Alabama Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team remains at home for a 7 p.m. clash against North Alabama Feb. 6 inside Alico Arena. The midweek Wednesday bout is billed as Multicultural Night and is being sponsored by Diamond District.
The Eagles (9-15, 4-5 A-SUN) have won their last three games at home and sit just one game shy of fourth-place UNA (8-16, 5-4 A-SUN) in the A-SUN Conference standings. This contest will be a rematch from Jan. 8, when the Lions knocked off FGCU 61-56 in Florence, Alabama.
Last Time Out:
FGCU earned its third-straight home win by defeating Jacksonville 73-60 Saturday night inside Alico Arena. The Eagles were celebrating their Homecoming Week and capped off the festivities with a big A-SUN Conference triumph in front of 4,009 fans.
A trio of Eagles scored in double figures, led by true freshman Zach Scott's 18. Seniors Schadrac Casimir (17) and Dinero Mercurius (11) also notched double digits to lead the Green and Blue to victory.
FGCU shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 60.9 percent (14-for-23) at the free-throw line. JU countered with shooting percentages of 35.9 (23-for-64) overall, 29.0 (9-for-31) from deep and 38.5 (5-for-13) from the line.
Scouting North Alabama:
The Lions are currently in its first season as A-SUN members. The Lions went through a rough stretch to start the season, winning just three of their first 16 games. But since a home win against FGCU on Jan. 8, UNA has won five of its last eight outings.
The Lions have three players scoring in double figures, led by freshman Jamari Blackmon's 15.3 ppg. Senior Kendarius Smith is averaging 12.4 points per game, while freshman Christian Agnew is sitting at 10.8 ppg. Freshman Emanuel Littles (4.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is the top rebounder on the squad.
UNA is 7-1 at home this season and 1-15 on the road.
Series History:
UNA leads the all-time series 3-0. The Eagles and Lions played a home-and-home pair of contests in 2005, with North Alabama claiming both. UNA defeated FGCU at home on Jan. 31, 2005 (90-83) and then won next season's contest on Dec. 19, 2005 (82-78) in Alico Arena. The only other matchup came earlier this season, when the Lions defeated the Eagles 61-56 in Florence, Alabama.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be led by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
UNA: @UNA_MBB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to a fee of $4.99 a month or $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
The midweek Wednesday bout is billed as Multicultural Night and is being sponsored by Diamond District.
White Out: Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.
Link to Livestats:http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238820
ESPN+ Link:http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/0f30ecc1-6380-4189-a15e-cb29981db66d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Play4Kay Foundation Link: https://pledgeit.org/fgcu-women-s-basketball-play4kay-free-throw-challenge
The Eagles (9-15, 4-5 A-SUN) have won their last three games at home and sit just one game shy of fourth-place UNA (8-16, 5-4 A-SUN) in the A-SUN Conference standings. This contest will be a rematch from Jan. 8, when the Lions knocked off FGCU 61-56 in Florence, Alabama.
Last Time Out:
FGCU earned its third-straight home win by defeating Jacksonville 73-60 Saturday night inside Alico Arena. The Eagles were celebrating their Homecoming Week and capped off the festivities with a big A-SUN Conference triumph in front of 4,009 fans.
A trio of Eagles scored in double figures, led by true freshman Zach Scott's 18. Seniors Schadrac Casimir (17) and Dinero Mercurius (11) also notched double digits to lead the Green and Blue to victory.
FGCU shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 60.9 percent (14-for-23) at the free-throw line. JU countered with shooting percentages of 35.9 (23-for-64) overall, 29.0 (9-for-31) from deep and 38.5 (5-for-13) from the line.
Scouting North Alabama:
The Lions are currently in its first season as A-SUN members. The Lions went through a rough stretch to start the season, winning just three of their first 16 games. But since a home win against FGCU on Jan. 8, UNA has won five of its last eight outings.
The Lions have three players scoring in double figures, led by freshman Jamari Blackmon's 15.3 ppg. Senior Kendarius Smith is averaging 12.4 points per game, while freshman Christian Agnew is sitting at 10.8 ppg. Freshman Emanuel Littles (4.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is the top rebounder on the squad.
UNA is 7-1 at home this season and 1-15 on the road.
Series History:
UNA leads the all-time series 3-0. The Eagles and Lions played a home-and-home pair of contests in 2005, with North Alabama claiming both. UNA defeated FGCU at home on Jan. 31, 2005 (90-83) and then won next season's contest on Dec. 19, 2005 (82-78) in Alico Arena. The only other matchup came earlier this season, when the Lions defeated the Eagles 61-56 in Florence, Alabama.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be led by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
UNA: @UNA_MBB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to a fee of $4.99 a month or $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
The midweek Wednesday bout is billed as Multicultural Night and is being sponsored by Diamond District.
White Out: Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.
Link to Livestats:http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238820
ESPN+ Link:http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/0f30ecc1-6380-4189-a15e-cb29981db66d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Play4Kay Foundation Link: https://pledgeit.org/fgcu-women-s-basketball-play4kay-free-throw-challenge
FGCU W. Golf: Mid-American Play Challenge Day Two Recap
The top-seeded FGCU women's golf team came from behind to defeat No. 4 Akron 3-1-1 in the semifinals, but lost a tiebreaker to No. 3 Bowling Green to finish runner-up in the Mid-American Match Play Challenge at Lakewood Ranch Country Club on Tuesday.
"We are obviously disappointed with our result today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "In our morning match, we were down and fought our way back. I loved how we gutted it out and came away with the win. In the afternoon, it just caught up to us. We were down most of the day, but were able to come back and force a playoff. Unfortunately, we made some mistakes and Bowling Green was able to get the best of us. Hats off to them because they played so tough and wouldn't let up. We know we need to work on short game and putting for the next couple weeks in order to be ready for Amelia Island."
The Eagles finished regulation tied 2-2-1 against BGSU with victories from senior Ailsa Clark and freshman Laura Edmonds. In the tiebreaker, each of the five pairs competed in a sudden-death round. The first four pairs tied, but the Falcons won the No. 1 pairing to claim the victory.
In the semifinals, senior Madeline Marck-Sherk was down one through 11, but won the 12th and claimed a win after taking the 17th. Edmonds won three of her final five holes just to finish all square. Clark and senior Kelsy Holbert cruised to victories.
Against BGSU, sophomore Natalia Nassar lost a heartbreaking 18th hole to lose by one. Marck-Sherk won the 17th to help even up her match, while Edmonds won the 11th and 15th holes to claim her victory. Clark led all but two holes.
Clark led the Green and Blue in the event with a 3-0 record, while Holbert went 2-1 and Edmonds finished 2-0-1. Marck-Sherk went 1-0-2.
This was FGCU's second consecutive runner-up finish in the event among four straight appearances.
Semifinals
No. 1 FGCU d. No. 4 Akron 3-1-1
1. Laura Edmonds (FGCU) vs Danielle Nicholson - A/S
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk (FGCU) d. Abbie Pearce - 1up
3. Kelsy Holbert (FGCU) d. Ivana Shah - 5&4
4. Allyson Wentworth (Akron) d. Natalia Nassar - 2&1
5. Ailsa Clark (FGCU) d. Makayla Dull - 4&2
Championship
No. 3 Bowling Green d. No. 1 FGCU via first-hole tiebreaker (2-2-1)
1. Laura Edmonds (FGCU) d. Jessica Madry - 2&1
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk (FGCU) vs Julia Durkin - A/S
3. Erin Fahey (BGSU) d. Kelsy Holbert - 5&4
4. Sammi Blackburn (BGSU) d. Natalia Nassar - 1up
5. Ailsa Clark (FGCU) d. Nichole Cox - 2&1
Up Next:
Following the Match Play Challenge, FGCU will be back in action Feb. 18-19 in the Amelia Island Collegiate.
"We are obviously disappointed with our result today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "In our morning match, we were down and fought our way back. I loved how we gutted it out and came away with the win. In the afternoon, it just caught up to us. We were down most of the day, but were able to come back and force a playoff. Unfortunately, we made some mistakes and Bowling Green was able to get the best of us. Hats off to them because they played so tough and wouldn't let up. We know we need to work on short game and putting for the next couple weeks in order to be ready for Amelia Island."
The Eagles finished regulation tied 2-2-1 against BGSU with victories from senior Ailsa Clark and freshman Laura Edmonds. In the tiebreaker, each of the five pairs competed in a sudden-death round. The first four pairs tied, but the Falcons won the No. 1 pairing to claim the victory.
In the semifinals, senior Madeline Marck-Sherk was down one through 11, but won the 12th and claimed a win after taking the 17th. Edmonds won three of her final five holes just to finish all square. Clark and senior Kelsy Holbert cruised to victories.
Against BGSU, sophomore Natalia Nassar lost a heartbreaking 18th hole to lose by one. Marck-Sherk won the 17th to help even up her match, while Edmonds won the 11th and 15th holes to claim her victory. Clark led all but two holes.
Clark led the Green and Blue in the event with a 3-0 record, while Holbert went 2-1 and Edmonds finished 2-0-1. Marck-Sherk went 1-0-2.
This was FGCU's second consecutive runner-up finish in the event among four straight appearances.
Semifinals
No. 1 FGCU d. No. 4 Akron 3-1-1
1. Laura Edmonds (FGCU) vs Danielle Nicholson - A/S
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk (FGCU) d. Abbie Pearce - 1up
3. Kelsy Holbert (FGCU) d. Ivana Shah - 5&4
4. Allyson Wentworth (Akron) d. Natalia Nassar - 2&1
5. Ailsa Clark (FGCU) d. Makayla Dull - 4&2
Championship
No. 3 Bowling Green d. No. 1 FGCU via first-hole tiebreaker (2-2-1)
1. Laura Edmonds (FGCU) d. Jessica Madry - 2&1
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk (FGCU) vs Julia Durkin - A/S
3. Erin Fahey (BGSU) d. Kelsy Holbert - 5&4
4. Sammi Blackburn (BGSU) d. Natalia Nassar - 1up
5. Ailsa Clark (FGCU) d. Nichole Cox - 2&1
Up Next:
Following the Match Play Challenge, FGCU will be back in action Feb. 18-19 in the Amelia Island Collegiate.
Raining 3s vs North Alabama Recap
Earning their second sweep in conference play, the FGCU women's basketball team (18-4, 9-0 A-SUN) remain on the unbeaten path in the A-SUN as they defeated North Alabama (16-3, 7-2 A-SUN) 76-51 at the Alico Arena Tuesday night. With the win, the Eagles are now 5-0 against the Lions and earned their second sweep of the season.
"This is a great win for us," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We feel really good about it. Both teams were sloppy early, a lot of turnovers, but we played really good defense the whole first half. We forced turnovers and limited their best scorers."
The star of the game was junior Tytionia Adderly. Adderly pulled away with a double-double that featured a career-high 29 points and 16 rebounds (seven offensive, nine defensive). Adderly also added three assists and three steals.
"Ty Adderly was outstanding tonight - just amazing," said Smesko. "These are some of the things I think she's capable of, so hopefully we can see more performances like this coming down the stretch (from her)."
With her seven offensive boards, Adderly is now at 304 and is now 22 away from passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2011-14) as the all-time leader. With the nine defensive boards, Adderly has 439. Overall, Adderly's 16 boards put her at 743 as she passed Whitney Knight (735, 2011-16) and now only trails Sarah Hansen (887, 2010-14). It was her 10th career double-double and as a result, Adderly became one of just three players in the Division-I era with 10 or more. In fact, she's just the fourth player in program history to score at least 29 points in a double-double, joining Adrianne McNally, China Dow and Kate Schrader (three times).
Of course, every time I speak to her after every game I always ask her one question that we get a kick out of: "What's with all the rebounds?"
Junior Nasrin Ulel added 21 points and redshirt senior Destiny Washington chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds, which was her fourth double-double of the season and second against North Alabama.
FGCU opened the game with five straight points despite a sluggish start. North Alabama responded with seven of the next nine points to tie the game, but Adderly scored four points during a 7-0 run and finished with 12 points in the opening frame to give the Eagles a 20-12 lead.
Then came the turning point - the second 10 minutes. FGCU's defense held North Alabama to an 0-for-7 performance from the field in the second quarter with only four points on six free throw attempts. Meanwhile, the Green and Blue went 6-for-17 from the field, including four 3-pointers, to outscore the Lions 17-4 in the frame and take a 37-16 lead.
It was the 12th time in conference play the Green and Blue held an opponent to single digits in a quarter.
Adderly exploded, once again, in the third quarter with 13 points and five rebounds on 6-for-6 shooting. Along the way, a jumper from Washington gave FGCU its first 30-point lead with 4:07 left in the third.
However, North Alabama scored 10 of the next 13 points to close the quarter and went on a 19-5 run to trim its deficit to 16 with 6:39 left in the game. The Eagles responded with a 17-2 run that pushed the lead to as many as 31 with three minutes left.
Ulel finished 7-for-19 from the field, which ties her for the second most field goal attempts against an A-SUN opponent in program history. Six of her field goals came from 3-point range, and she's now averaging 18.6 PPG over the past five games. It was her second straight game with 20 + points and her sixth of the season.
The trio of Adderly, Ulel and Washington combined for all but 12 of FGCU's 76 points and tallied three assists apiece along with eight combined steals. Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka had a game-high eight assists despite scoring just two points. She is now 14 points shy of 1,000 in her NCAA career.
Defensively, FGCU forced a season-high 29 turnovers for the second time this year, and it led to 29 points going the other way. It was the fifth time the Eagles have forced 20 + turnovers in conference play.
North Alabama's Brittany Panetti, who entered the game as the A-SUN's leading scorer at 16.7 per contest, was held to a season-low two points on 1-for-5 shooting in 23 minutes. Furthermore, Emma Wallen, who entered averaging 14.6 points overall and 22 PPG over the past four, was held to five points on 2-for-10 shooting, including an 0-for-6 performance from 3-point range - one game after making a season-high eight in her team's win over Lipscomb.
Up Next:
FGCU will be back in action at Liberty on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Below are pics with me and some of the players after the game.
"This is a great win for us," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We feel really good about it. Both teams were sloppy early, a lot of turnovers, but we played really good defense the whole first half. We forced turnovers and limited their best scorers."
The star of the game was junior Tytionia Adderly. Adderly pulled away with a double-double that featured a career-high 29 points and 16 rebounds (seven offensive, nine defensive). Adderly also added three assists and three steals.
"Ty Adderly was outstanding tonight - just amazing," said Smesko. "These are some of the things I think she's capable of, so hopefully we can see more performances like this coming down the stretch (from her)."
With her seven offensive boards, Adderly is now at 304 and is now 22 away from passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2011-14) as the all-time leader. With the nine defensive boards, Adderly has 439. Overall, Adderly's 16 boards put her at 743 as she passed Whitney Knight (735, 2011-16) and now only trails Sarah Hansen (887, 2010-14). It was her 10th career double-double and as a result, Adderly became one of just three players in the Division-I era with 10 or more. In fact, she's just the fourth player in program history to score at least 29 points in a double-double, joining Adrianne McNally, China Dow and Kate Schrader (three times).
Of course, every time I speak to her after every game I always ask her one question that we get a kick out of: "What's with all the rebounds?"
Junior Nasrin Ulel added 21 points and redshirt senior Destiny Washington chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds, which was her fourth double-double of the season and second against North Alabama.
FGCU opened the game with five straight points despite a sluggish start. North Alabama responded with seven of the next nine points to tie the game, but Adderly scored four points during a 7-0 run and finished with 12 points in the opening frame to give the Eagles a 20-12 lead.
Then came the turning point - the second 10 minutes. FGCU's defense held North Alabama to an 0-for-7 performance from the field in the second quarter with only four points on six free throw attempts. Meanwhile, the Green and Blue went 6-for-17 from the field, including four 3-pointers, to outscore the Lions 17-4 in the frame and take a 37-16 lead.
It was the 12th time in conference play the Green and Blue held an opponent to single digits in a quarter.
Adderly exploded, once again, in the third quarter with 13 points and five rebounds on 6-for-6 shooting. Along the way, a jumper from Washington gave FGCU its first 30-point lead with 4:07 left in the third.
However, North Alabama scored 10 of the next 13 points to close the quarter and went on a 19-5 run to trim its deficit to 16 with 6:39 left in the game. The Eagles responded with a 17-2 run that pushed the lead to as many as 31 with three minutes left.
Ulel finished 7-for-19 from the field, which ties her for the second most field goal attempts against an A-SUN opponent in program history. Six of her field goals came from 3-point range, and she's now averaging 18.6 PPG over the past five games. It was her second straight game with 20 + points and her sixth of the season.
The trio of Adderly, Ulel and Washington combined for all but 12 of FGCU's 76 points and tallied three assists apiece along with eight combined steals. Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka had a game-high eight assists despite scoring just two points. She is now 14 points shy of 1,000 in her NCAA career.
Defensively, FGCU forced a season-high 29 turnovers for the second time this year, and it led to 29 points going the other way. It was the fifth time the Eagles have forced 20 + turnovers in conference play.
North Alabama's Brittany Panetti, who entered the game as the A-SUN's leading scorer at 16.7 per contest, was held to a season-low two points on 1-for-5 shooting in 23 minutes. Furthermore, Emma Wallen, who entered averaging 14.6 points overall and 22 PPG over the past four, was held to five points on 2-for-10 shooting, including an 0-for-6 performance from 3-point range - one game after making a season-high eight in her team's win over Lipscomb.
Up Next:
FGCU will be back in action at Liberty on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Below are pics with me and some of the players after the game.
 |
| With Keri Jewett-Giles |
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| With Ulel |
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| With Chandler Ryan |
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| With Adderly |
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| With Tyra Cox |
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| With Zderadicka |
SCF Basketball Readies for Florida Gateway
The SCF basketball team (13-12, 4-4 Suncoat) will play their last non-conference game as they welcome Florida Gateway College (11-15) to to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Thursday night, February 6 at 7 pm. This will be the first ever matchup between both teams.
Fans can keep up on Twitter:
Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of an 86-70 loss to #1 FSW on the road and have yet to beat them.
Offensively, the Manatees are led by the squad of freshmen D'Moi Hodge and Isiah Dasher, redshirt sophomore Tre Alexandrea and sophomores DeAndre Osuigwe and Cyrus Barnes.
Hodge has been running the floor both offensively and defensively. The native of Tortola, British Virgin Islands is averaging 19.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, three steals and two blocks per game. Against FSW, Hodge had a game-high 34 points, seven rebounds, seven steals and a block.
Dasher is averaging 16.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Against FSW, Dasher was held to four points and one rebound.
Alexandrea is averaging 9.6 points and 4.3 assists per game. In the last four games, Alexandra has scored less than 10 points. Against FSW, the Bradenton native had eight points and two assists.
The main benefactor of assists, Osuigwe is averaging 12 points and 5.5 assists per game. Despite playing off the bench, Osuigwe had 14 points and two assists against FSW.
Although being held to three points against FSW, Barnes is still averaging 8.5 points per game.
Scouting Gateway:
The Timberwolves, who are in Division II team in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8, are coming off of a 91-81 loss to Santa Fe College.
Offensively, freshmen Jaimine Graham, Kenny Brown and Diamond Smith lead the way. Graham is averaging 14.1 points and seven rebounds per game, while Brown is averaging 12.1 points and two assists per game and Smith is averaging 11.5 points per game. Graham had 20 points and nine rebounds against SFC, while Brown had 12 points and three assists and Smith had 28 points.
How to Keep Up:
The game will air livestream on the SCF Athletics YouTube channel.
The game will air livestream on the SCF Athletics YouTube channel.
Fans can keep up on Twitter:
SCF: @SCF_Basketball
Gateway: @FGCathletics
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFpxyXJqcQVkozbVYacR26g
Gateway: @FGCathletics
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFpxyXJqcQVkozbVYacR26g
Raining 3s vs North Alabama Preview
The FGCU women's basketball team (17-4, 8-0 A-SUN) are set for a rematch as they welcome North Alabama (16-2, 7-1 A-SUN) to the Alico Arena Tuesday night, February 5 at 7 pm. With a win, the Eagles can move at least two games ahead of every other team in the conference standings and be the first team to clinch a spot in the A-SUN tournament. On the other hand, North Alabama can move into a tie for first place with a victory.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles, who are ranked #5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll and first in the A-SUN, are coming off of a 82-58 over Jacksonville in a wave of blue.
Offensively, the Eagles are led by junior Nasrin Ulel and redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles.
Ulel is averaging 15.4 points per game. Against JU, Ulel had a game-high 26 points while going 11-for-18. Ulel has 764 in her career and has surpassed China Dow (749, 2016-18) on the program's career scoring list. Ulel is 36 points away from becoming the 13th player to reach 800 career points in the Green and Blue's Division-I era.
Jewett-Giles is averaging 13.1 points, three assists and 1.5 steals per game. The hometown hero had 16 points, three rebounds and a steal against JU. As a result, Jewett-Giles was named A-SUN Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season.
"Keri had a great week at both ends of the floor," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She was an efficient scorer and played great defense."
Redshirt Davion Wingate is averaging 7.2 points per game. Against JU, Wingate finished with four points.
Milestones:
Zderadicka, Washington, Jewett-Gilesa and Wingate continue to trend toward 1,000 points in their NCAA careers (Zderadicka, 971; Washington, 926; Wingate, 764).
Throne of an Empire:
Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka has been dishing numerous assists for the Eagles. Zderadicka also known as the "Empress of Assists" is averaging 9.2 points and four assists per game. Against JU, Zderadicka had 13 points and six assists. Overall, Zderadicka has 334 career assists, which include the 152 with Houston Baptist.
The Crowns of Boards:
The duo of redshirt senior Destiny Washington and junior Tytionia Adderly have been the main factors of rebounding.
Washington is averaging 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Against JU, Washington had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. With her 10 rebounds, the double transfer from Loyola Chicago/Ball State now has 625 in her career.
Meanwhile, Adderly is averaging 5.8 points and eight rebounds per game. Against JU, Adderly had eight points and eight rebounds. Adderly's eight rebounds pushes her career total in A-SUN play to 306, which is fourth-best in program history. Next up on the list is Whitney Knight (355, 2011-16).
Furthermore, Adderly's eight rebounds were defensive and she has 428 in her career The Jupiter native's next milestone is Hansen (558) for second all-time. In her overall career, Adderly's eight rebounds put her at 728 and is six shy of passing Knight (735) for second all-time.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles, who are ranked #5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll and first in the A-SUN, are coming off of a 82-58 over Jacksonville in a wave of blue.
Offensively, the Eagles are led by junior Nasrin Ulel and redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles.
Ulel is averaging 15.4 points per game. Against JU, Ulel had a game-high 26 points while going 11-for-18. Ulel has 764 in her career and has surpassed China Dow (749, 2016-18) on the program's career scoring list. Ulel is 36 points away from becoming the 13th player to reach 800 career points in the Green and Blue's Division-I era.
Jewett-Giles is averaging 13.1 points, three assists and 1.5 steals per game. The hometown hero had 16 points, three rebounds and a steal against JU. As a result, Jewett-Giles was named A-SUN Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season.
"Keri had a great week at both ends of the floor," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She was an efficient scorer and played great defense."
Redshirt Davion Wingate is averaging 7.2 points per game. Against JU, Wingate finished with four points.
Milestones:
Zderadicka, Washington, Jewett-Gilesa and Wingate continue to trend toward 1,000 points in their NCAA careers (Zderadicka, 971; Washington, 926; Wingate, 764).
Throne of an Empire:
Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka has been dishing numerous assists for the Eagles. Zderadicka also known as the "Empress of Assists" is averaging 9.2 points and four assists per game. Against JU, Zderadicka had 13 points and six assists. Overall, Zderadicka has 334 career assists, which include the 152 with Houston Baptist.
The Crowns of Boards:
The duo of redshirt senior Destiny Washington and junior Tytionia Adderly have been the main factors of rebounding.
Washington is averaging 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Against JU, Washington had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. With her 10 rebounds, the double transfer from Loyola Chicago/Ball State now has 625 in her career.
Meanwhile, Adderly is averaging 5.8 points and eight rebounds per game. Against JU, Adderly had eight points and eight rebounds. Adderly's eight rebounds pushes her career total in A-SUN play to 306, which is fourth-best in program history. Next up on the list is Whitney Knight (355, 2011-16).
Furthermore, Adderly's eight rebounds were defensive and she has 428 in her career The Jupiter native's next milestone is Hansen (558) for second all-time. In her overall career, Adderly's eight rebounds put her at 728 and is six shy of passing Knight (735) for second all-time.
In scoring, Adderly has 519 career points.
Milestones:
Ulel joins Zderadicka (984), Washington (936), Jewett-Giles (766) and Davion Wingate (768) a they inch closer to reaching the 1,000 point milestone.
Scouting North Alabama:
The Lions are coming off of an 81-60 win against Lipscomb and currently sit in second place in the A-SUN behind FGCU.
The Lions are led by junior Brittany Panetti. Panetti is averaging 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Panetti had 10 points, three rebounds and a block against Lipscomb.
Other players that play a key factor for the Lions include fellow juniors Emma and Ivy Wallen and Kenysha Coulson.
Emma and Ivy, two of the three Wallen triplets, have been in line for the Lions. The other triplet, Ella, parted ways from the team after averaging 0.5 points per game last season.
Emma is averaging 14.3 points per game. In the game against Lipscomb, she had a game-high 30 points and four rebounds. 24 of Emma's points were from behind the 3-point line. In fact, Emma leads the team in 3-pointers made (54).
Ivy is averaging 13.8 points, 1.9 steals and a team and conference-leading 7.6 assists per game. Against UNF, Ivy had 12 points, three assists and one steal.
Coulson is averaging 8.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Against Lipscomb, Coulson was held to five points, bur added 13 rebounds.
Series History:
FGCU is 4-0 all-time against North Alabama, which includes the game earlier in the season on the road where the Eagles won.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be led by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
UNA: @UNAHOOPS
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to a fee of $4.99 a month or $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
#Play4Kay Pledge with Coach Smesko: Join Coach Smesko and pledge to help FGCU support the #Play4Kay Foundation! You can make a difference by pledging to make a donation for every made Green and Blue free throw in February, and 100 percent of the funds go to the #Play4Kay Foundation.
Pink Out: Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game
Link to Livestats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=244121
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/69182d33-a72e-424c-8253-d7174e00af2d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Play4Kay Foundation Link: https://pledgeit.org/fgcu-women-s-basketball-play4kay-free-throw-challenge
The Lions are coming off of an 81-60 win against Lipscomb and currently sit in second place in the A-SUN behind FGCU.
The Lions are led by junior Brittany Panetti. Panetti is averaging 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Panetti had 10 points, three rebounds and a block against Lipscomb.
Other players that play a key factor for the Lions include fellow juniors Emma and Ivy Wallen and Kenysha Coulson.
Emma and Ivy, two of the three Wallen triplets, have been in line for the Lions. The other triplet, Ella, parted ways from the team after averaging 0.5 points per game last season.
Emma is averaging 14.3 points per game. In the game against Lipscomb, she had a game-high 30 points and four rebounds. 24 of Emma's points were from behind the 3-point line. In fact, Emma leads the team in 3-pointers made (54).
Ivy is averaging 13.8 points, 1.9 steals and a team and conference-leading 7.6 assists per game. Against UNF, Ivy had 12 points, three assists and one steal.
Series History:
FGCU is 4-0 all-time against North Alabama, which includes the game earlier in the season on the road where the Eagles won.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be led by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
UNA: @UNAHOOPS
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to a fee of $4.99 a month or $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
#Play4Kay Pledge with Coach Smesko: Join Coach Smesko and pledge to help FGCU support the #Play4Kay Foundation! You can make a difference by pledging to make a donation for every made Green and Blue free throw in February, and 100 percent of the funds go to the #Play4Kay Foundation.
Pink Out: Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game
Link to Livestats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=244121
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/69182d33-a72e-424c-8253-d7174e00af2d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Play4Kay Foundation Link: https://pledgeit.org/fgcu-women-s-basketball-play4kay-free-throw-challenge
FGCU W. Golf: Mid-American Play Challenge Day One Recap
The top-seeded FGCU women's golf team produced a 3-1-1 win over ninth-seeded Central Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Match Play Challenge on Monday afternoon at Lakewood Ranch Country Club to open the spring season.
In doing so, the Eagles advance to Tuesday's semifinal round to face fourth-seeded Akron, who defeated fifth-seeded Illinois State 3-2-0 in another quarterfinal. The winner will meet either No. 2 Northern Illinois or No. 3 Bowling Green in an afternoon final, while the two losers will compete for third place.
"We had a pretty good day today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "I think we definitely had some nerves, and you could tell there was a little bit of first-tournament rust to knock off, but we entered with the goal of advancing to the next round, and I think we handled ourselves very well. We didn't panic if we lost a hole and now that we have the first round under our belt, we can go out there Tuesday and play more aggressively. I believe if we do this, we will end up in a good spot and be able to move on."
The trio of Laura Edmonds, Kelsy Holbert and Ailsa Clark took care of business by winning 5&3, 4&2 and 4&3, respectively. Madeline Marck-Sherk won three of the final four holes to even up her match, while Natalia Nassar nearly tied her pairing up on the final hole, but fell by two.
Edmonds lost just two holes en route to her victory. She won the first three, led by two at the turn and captured 10, 11 and 15 to end her pairing. Holbert, meanwhile, clinched her matchup on the 16th hole after jumping out to a two-hole lead midway through. Clark started out strong by winning three of the first six holes. Later, she won three straight starting at No. 12 to go up by four holes. After an even finish on 15, she clinched the match.
Quotes From Other Coaches:
Central Michigan: "Didn't seem like the girls had really missed a beat," said first-year Chippewa coach Jim Earle, whose team put together a remarkable fall, during which they broke out with top-five finishes in four of their five tournaments. "They've hit the ball really well. We were playing really well (against Ohio) and it was a good exciting match. To come up with four wins was really good for us."
Western Illinois: "We made a lot of pars this morning but not enough birdies to stay with Illinois State," said head coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen. "We won two matches this afternoon and missed chances to win others. Overall we gained some experience, improved our putting and are looking forward to competing tomorrow."
Individual Quarterfinal Results
1. Laura Edmonds (FGCU) d. Jami Laude - 5&3
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk vs Meghan Deardorff (Central Michigan)- A/S
3. Kelsy Holbert (FGCU) d. Danielle Sawyer - 4&2
4. Holly Hines (Central Michigan) d. Natalia Nassar - 2 UP
5. Ailsa Clark (FGCU) d. Bria Colosky - 4&3
Team Results - First Round
No. 9 Central Michigan def. No. 8 Ohio - 4-1-0
No. 5 Illinois State def. No. 12 Western Illinois - 5-0-0
No. 7 Western Michigan def. No. 10 Morehead State - 5-0-0
No. 6 Eastern Michigan def. No. 11 Purdue Fort Wayne - 5-0-0
Team Results - Quarterfinals
No. 1 FGCU def. No. 9 Central Michigan - 3-1-1
No. 4 Akron def. No. 5 Illinois State - 3-2-0
No. 2 Northern Illinois def. No. 7 Western Michigan - 4-1-0
No. 3 Bowling Green def. No. 6 Eastern Michigan - 3-2-0
Tuesday's Schedule
Semifinal - No. 1 FGCU vs No. 4 Akron
Semifinal - No. 2 Northern Illinois vs No. 3 Bowling Green
In doing so, the Eagles advance to Tuesday's semifinal round to face fourth-seeded Akron, who defeated fifth-seeded Illinois State 3-2-0 in another quarterfinal. The winner will meet either No. 2 Northern Illinois or No. 3 Bowling Green in an afternoon final, while the two losers will compete for third place.
"We had a pretty good day today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "I think we definitely had some nerves, and you could tell there was a little bit of first-tournament rust to knock off, but we entered with the goal of advancing to the next round, and I think we handled ourselves very well. We didn't panic if we lost a hole and now that we have the first round under our belt, we can go out there Tuesday and play more aggressively. I believe if we do this, we will end up in a good spot and be able to move on."
The trio of Laura Edmonds, Kelsy Holbert and Ailsa Clark took care of business by winning 5&3, 4&2 and 4&3, respectively. Madeline Marck-Sherk won three of the final four holes to even up her match, while Natalia Nassar nearly tied her pairing up on the final hole, but fell by two.
Edmonds lost just two holes en route to her victory. She won the first three, led by two at the turn and captured 10, 11 and 15 to end her pairing. Holbert, meanwhile, clinched her matchup on the 16th hole after jumping out to a two-hole lead midway through. Clark started out strong by winning three of the first six holes. Later, she won three straight starting at No. 12 to go up by four holes. After an even finish on 15, she clinched the match.
Quotes From Other Coaches:
Central Michigan: "Didn't seem like the girls had really missed a beat," said first-year Chippewa coach Jim Earle, whose team put together a remarkable fall, during which they broke out with top-five finishes in four of their five tournaments. "They've hit the ball really well. We were playing really well (against Ohio) and it was a good exciting match. To come up with four wins was really good for us."
Western Illinois: "We made a lot of pars this morning but not enough birdies to stay with Illinois State," said head coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen. "We won two matches this afternoon and missed chances to win others. Overall we gained some experience, improved our putting and are looking forward to competing tomorrow."
Individual Quarterfinal Results
1. Laura Edmonds (FGCU) d. Jami Laude - 5&3
2. Madeline Marck-Sherk vs Meghan Deardorff (Central Michigan)- A/S
3. Kelsy Holbert (FGCU) d. Danielle Sawyer - 4&2
4. Holly Hines (Central Michigan) d. Natalia Nassar - 2 UP
5. Ailsa Clark (FGCU) d. Bria Colosky - 4&3
Team Results - First Round
No. 9 Central Michigan def. No. 8 Ohio - 4-1-0
No. 5 Illinois State def. No. 12 Western Illinois - 5-0-0
No. 7 Western Michigan def. No. 10 Morehead State - 5-0-0
No. 6 Eastern Michigan def. No. 11 Purdue Fort Wayne - 5-0-0
Team Results - Quarterfinals
No. 1 FGCU def. No. 9 Central Michigan - 3-1-1
No. 4 Akron def. No. 5 Illinois State - 3-2-0
No. 2 Northern Illinois def. No. 7 Western Michigan - 4-1-0
No. 3 Bowling Green def. No. 6 Eastern Michigan - 3-2-0
Tuesday's Schedule
Semifinal - No. 1 FGCU vs No. 4 Akron
Semifinal - No. 2 Northern Illinois vs No. 3 Bowling Green
Spunk City: Barron Grad Pitkin a Big Part of Eagles’ Spirit Squad
Aside from the Dirty Birds, there is a squad that helps bring spirit to Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball games: the cheerleaders. One member who coaches and teammates say is the most positive on the squad is junior Paige Pitkin. A Naples native who graduated from Barron Collier High School, Pitkin, a finance major, has been cheering since she was a little girl. She joined the FGCU cheerleading squad in the fall of 2017.
“I started cheerleading at 5 years old,” said Pitkin, who’s used to performing in front of large crowds going back to her days cheerleading for Barron Collier’s football team. “I was a gymnast who didn’t like the beam or the bars, but loved tumbling. From the very first time Coach John Bencomo (owner of Top Gun All Stars) put me up in the air to fly, I knew I had found my athletic home.”
After graduating from Barron Collier, Pitkin enrolled at the University of Alabama for her freshman year. Her time in Tuscaloosa was short-lived, though. Too far from home, she enrolled at FGCU at the start of her sophomore year.
“I missed the beach, the beautiful weather, and most importantly my family,” Pitkin said.
Using her gymnastics experience, Pitkin went through a tryout to become an FGCU cheerleader. She’s one of three Collier County natives on the Eagles squad — fellow junior Lexy Cooper, also a Barron Collier grad, and Marco Island Academy product Olivia Scarpelli, a sophomore, are the other two. Southwest Florida as a whole is well represented on FGCU’s cheerleading roster, with junior Kelsey Allen and sophomore Joseph Lopez hailing from Cape Coral and Port Charlotte, respectively.
“Through the years of competitive cheer at Top Gun I knew I had something to offer the university, as well as find my friends, and continue my journey as an athlete,” Pitkin said.
It turned out that Pitkin was one of the missing pieces of the puzzle that FGCU’s head cheer coach, Emily Chaikin, was seeking.
“Paige has been a great asset to the team,” Chaikin said. “She consistently works hard, came onto the team with great experience in tumbling and stunting, and is always positive and enthusiastic. Paige does not stop; she is always working hard and motivating others to do so as well.”
Pitkin’s positivity has spread throughout the squad, and particularly to seniors Bailey Spenlau and cheer captain Caragan Phillips, both of whom have cheered with Pitkin for two years.
“Paige’s bubbly and positive personality has been most influencing for me,” Spenlau said.
“I will never forget how she breaks out into song and dances to any and every song that plays over the (Alico Arena sound system).”
Said Phillips: “Paige is a little ball of energy. Cheering with her is fun because of her always positive attitude and spunky personality. She is one of a kind.”
Among all of her teammates, Phillips is closest with Pitkin. She takes her in as her “little.”
“I truly admire her and love her,” Phillips said. “She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I am lucky to call her a friend and a sister.”
Chaikin said one performance by Pitkin during a game last year really stands out in her mind. It involved a classic Beach Boys tune.
“One of the best memories I had with Paige was her being selected for our ‘Surfin’ USA’ timeout because she is the most animated teammate we have,” Chaikin said. “We just couldn’t think of anyone else that could really pull off such a funky timeout. I will never forget that.”
Said Phillips: “One of my favorite memories was basing her during the beginning of my junior year and watching her do the ‘Surfin’ USA’ timeout. “I will never forget her attitude and the way she can light up a room or the whole arena. She is a ray of sunshine and we are blessed to have her on our team.”
As fate would have it, cheering for the Eagles earned Pitkin a special return trip to Tuscaloosa. Chaikin said Pitkin and her group were selected at UCA College Cheer Camp at the University of Alabama to “present a skill in front of the entire camp and many other Division I programs.”
Said Spenlau: “My favorite memory with Paige was on a walk to our cars after a long practice. It was her first year on the team and one of our first few practices together. We talked about her past year at University of Alabama and how life changes and she found herself back in Florida at FGCU. … It was great to hear her heart and passion for cheerleading and what she hoped to bring to this program.”
Pitkin does not plan on cheering professionally after her senior year; instead, she wants to work and save up money for law school. But her positivity and team spirit at FGCU games will continue into her senior year.
“I started cheerleading at 5 years old,” said Pitkin, who’s used to performing in front of large crowds going back to her days cheerleading for Barron Collier’s football team. “I was a gymnast who didn’t like the beam or the bars, but loved tumbling. From the very first time Coach John Bencomo (owner of Top Gun All Stars) put me up in the air to fly, I knew I had found my athletic home.”
After graduating from Barron Collier, Pitkin enrolled at the University of Alabama for her freshman year. Her time in Tuscaloosa was short-lived, though. Too far from home, she enrolled at FGCU at the start of her sophomore year.
“I missed the beach, the beautiful weather, and most importantly my family,” Pitkin said.
Using her gymnastics experience, Pitkin went through a tryout to become an FGCU cheerleader. She’s one of three Collier County natives on the Eagles squad — fellow junior Lexy Cooper, also a Barron Collier grad, and Marco Island Academy product Olivia Scarpelli, a sophomore, are the other two. Southwest Florida as a whole is well represented on FGCU’s cheerleading roster, with junior Kelsey Allen and sophomore Joseph Lopez hailing from Cape Coral and Port Charlotte, respectively.
“Through the years of competitive cheer at Top Gun I knew I had something to offer the university, as well as find my friends, and continue my journey as an athlete,” Pitkin said.
It turned out that Pitkin was one of the missing pieces of the puzzle that FGCU’s head cheer coach, Emily Chaikin, was seeking.
“Paige has been a great asset to the team,” Chaikin said. “She consistently works hard, came onto the team with great experience in tumbling and stunting, and is always positive and enthusiastic. Paige does not stop; she is always working hard and motivating others to do so as well.”
Pitkin’s positivity has spread throughout the squad, and particularly to seniors Bailey Spenlau and cheer captain Caragan Phillips, both of whom have cheered with Pitkin for two years.
“Paige’s bubbly and positive personality has been most influencing for me,” Spenlau said.
“I will never forget how she breaks out into song and dances to any and every song that plays over the (Alico Arena sound system).”
Said Phillips: “Paige is a little ball of energy. Cheering with her is fun because of her always positive attitude and spunky personality. She is one of a kind.”
Among all of her teammates, Phillips is closest with Pitkin. She takes her in as her “little.”
“I truly admire her and love her,” Phillips said. “She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I am lucky to call her a friend and a sister.”
Chaikin said one performance by Pitkin during a game last year really stands out in her mind. It involved a classic Beach Boys tune.
“One of the best memories I had with Paige was her being selected for our ‘Surfin’ USA’ timeout because she is the most animated teammate we have,” Chaikin said. “We just couldn’t think of anyone else that could really pull off such a funky timeout. I will never forget that.”
Said Phillips: “One of my favorite memories was basing her during the beginning of my junior year and watching her do the ‘Surfin’ USA’ timeout. “I will never forget her attitude and the way she can light up a room or the whole arena. She is a ray of sunshine and we are blessed to have her on our team.”
As fate would have it, cheering for the Eagles earned Pitkin a special return trip to Tuscaloosa. Chaikin said Pitkin and her group were selected at UCA College Cheer Camp at the University of Alabama to “present a skill in front of the entire camp and many other Division I programs.”
Said Spenlau: “My favorite memory with Paige was on a walk to our cars after a long practice. It was her first year on the team and one of our first few practices together. We talked about her past year at University of Alabama and how life changes and she found herself back in Florida at FGCU. … It was great to hear her heart and passion for cheerleading and what she hoped to bring to this program.”
Pitkin does not plan on cheering professionally after her senior year; instead, she wants to work and save up money for law school. But her positivity and team spirit at FGCU games will continue into her senior year.
FGCU W. Golf: Mid-American Play Challenge Preview
After a long winter break, the FGCU women's golf team returns to action as they play in the 6th annual Women's Mid-American Match Play Challenge at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Bradenton, Florida, hosted by Bowling Green State. The two-day 72 hole tournament will run from February 4th-5th with various tee times in the morning.
"We are all ready to kick off our spring season this week with the Mid-American Match Play Challenge," FGCU's eighth-year head coach Sarah Trew said. "This team is coming off a historic fall, and we are looking to keep the momentum rolling into 2019. This is the fourth time we have participated in this event so we feel very comfortable both with the Royal Lakes course and the unique format. We have been working hard at practice for the last three weeks sharpening our skills, and we are excited to get in tournament mode."
Along with FGCU and host BGSU, the following teams are listed as noted for participation in the Mid-American Match Play Challenge and their seedings:
#2 Northern Illinois
#4 Akron
#5 Illinois State
#6 Eastern Michigan
#7 Western Michigan
#8 Ohio
#9 Central Michigan
#10 Morhead State
#11 Purdue-Fort Wayne
#12 Western Illinois
The Eagles will be listed as the #1 seed in the tournament while host BGSU is the #3 seed.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles last competed for a 5th place finish out of 15 teams in the three-day 41st annual Pat Bradley Invitational at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Bradenton, Florida from October 21-23, 2018.
It was freshman Laura Edmonds and sophomore Natalia Nassar that led the way for the Eagles. Edmonds tied for 14th place with a final score of 217 (+1, 73-76-68) while Nassar finished tied for 17th with a final score of 218 (+2, 79-69-70).
Losses and Future Eagles:
The Eagles did lose grad student Lexie Flerlage and junior Kate Williamson. Flerlage, a transfer from Florida State parted way, while Williamson, a two-time WGCA Scholar All-American, transferred to Utah Valley. The Eagles did sign three newcomers to the team on National Signing Day for the 2019-20 season: Isabella Portokalis, Sarah Edwards and Sadie Chlapowski.
Isabella Portokalis:
Portokalis, a an snowboarder, hails from London, Ontario, Canada and will join from the Oakridge Secondary School. Portokalis won her first AJGA event this past summer in the Coca-Cola Junior Open Championship at Boyne Highlands scoring a 71-70-70---211 (-5).
Her other finishes include:
- 1st place at the CN Ontario Golf Canada Championship in 2016 - 71-73-72---216
- 1st place in the 2017 and 2018 Thames Valley Regional High School Championship shooting 72 in 2017 and 73 in 2018. She competed against boys in this event.
- 1st place at Team Ontario Cup in 2016 with a 76-67---143
- 1st place at OFSAA (Ontario) high school championship in 2015 with a 72
- 2nd place at the Golf Ontario Junior Spring Classic in 2016 with a 67-76-72---215
- 2nd place at the Ontario Junior Girls Championship in 2016 with a 68-74-76-73
- 3rd place at the AJGA/CJGA Junior Open Championship in 2018 with a 72-72-69---213 (-3)
- 7th place at the Ontario Women's Amateur in 2016 with a 74-71-75-73
- 9th place at Canadian Junior Girls Championship in 2018 with a 75-79-75-69
"Isabella has one of the most polished junior résumés of anyone to sign with FGCU," Trew said. "Currently, she ranks 75th in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and won the AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championship at Boyne Highlands this past summer. I believe she will come in and make an immediate impact in our program. She is a hard worker, hits the ball a long way and knows how to score. Her experience and knowing how to win on the national level are big additions for us. We have been waiting a long time to sign her and are excited this day is final here."
"I chose FGCU because it is an incredible opportunity to be part of a world class educational facility and golf program," Portokalis said of her decision. "I am extremely fortunate to attend a school that has an amazing golf team and coach, where I can play all year round."
Sarah Edwards:
"We are all ready to kick off our spring season this week with the Mid-American Match Play Challenge," FGCU's eighth-year head coach Sarah Trew said. "This team is coming off a historic fall, and we are looking to keep the momentum rolling into 2019. This is the fourth time we have participated in this event so we feel very comfortable both with the Royal Lakes course and the unique format. We have been working hard at practice for the last three weeks sharpening our skills, and we are excited to get in tournament mode."
Along with FGCU and host BGSU, the following teams are listed as noted for participation in the Mid-American Match Play Challenge and their seedings:
#2 Northern Illinois
#4 Akron
#5 Illinois State
#6 Eastern Michigan
#7 Western Michigan
#8 Ohio
#9 Central Michigan
#10 Morhead State
#11 Purdue-Fort Wayne
#12 Western Illinois
The Eagles will be listed as the #1 seed in the tournament while host BGSU is the #3 seed.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles last competed for a 5th place finish out of 15 teams in the three-day 41st annual Pat Bradley Invitational at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club in Bradenton, Florida from October 21-23, 2018.
It was freshman Laura Edmonds and sophomore Natalia Nassar that led the way for the Eagles. Edmonds tied for 14th place with a final score of 217 (+1, 73-76-68) while Nassar finished tied for 17th with a final score of 218 (+2, 79-69-70).
Losses and Future Eagles:
The Eagles did lose grad student Lexie Flerlage and junior Kate Williamson. Flerlage, a transfer from Florida State parted way, while Williamson, a two-time WGCA Scholar All-American, transferred to Utah Valley. The Eagles did sign three newcomers to the team on National Signing Day for the 2019-20 season: Isabella Portokalis, Sarah Edwards and Sadie Chlapowski.
Isabella Portokalis:
Portokalis, a an snowboarder, hails from London, Ontario, Canada and will join from the Oakridge Secondary School. Portokalis won her first AJGA event this past summer in the Coca-Cola Junior Open Championship at Boyne Highlands scoring a 71-70-70---211 (-5).
Her other finishes include:
- 1st place at the CN Ontario Golf Canada Championship in 2016 - 71-73-72---216
- 1st place in the 2017 and 2018 Thames Valley Regional High School Championship shooting 72 in 2017 and 73 in 2018. She competed against boys in this event.
- 1st place at Team Ontario Cup in 2016 with a 76-67---143
- 1st place at OFSAA (Ontario) high school championship in 2015 with a 72
- 2nd place at the Golf Ontario Junior Spring Classic in 2016 with a 67-76-72---215
- 2nd place at the Ontario Junior Girls Championship in 2016 with a 68-74-76-73
- 3rd place at the AJGA/CJGA Junior Open Championship in 2018 with a 72-72-69---213 (-3)
- 7th place at the Ontario Women's Amateur in 2016 with a 74-71-75-73
- 9th place at Canadian Junior Girls Championship in 2018 with a 75-79-75-69
"Isabella has one of the most polished junior résumés of anyone to sign with FGCU," Trew said. "Currently, she ranks 75th in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and won the AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championship at Boyne Highlands this past summer. I believe she will come in and make an immediate impact in our program. She is a hard worker, hits the ball a long way and knows how to score. Her experience and knowing how to win on the national level are big additions for us. We have been waiting a long time to sign her and are excited this day is final here."
"I chose FGCU because it is an incredible opportunity to be part of a world class educational facility and golf program," Portokalis said of her decision. "I am extremely fortunate to attend a school that has an amazing golf team and coach, where I can play all year round."
Sarah Edwards:
Edwards joins FGCU from Jay High School in Jay, Florida. Edwards was named the Pensacola Junior Golfer of the Year, won both NJGT events that she has played in. She came in first at the Downing Gray Cup tournament and qualified for the FHSAA 1A state tournament twice in high school.
"We are happy to welcome Sarah to the Eagle family next year," Trew said. "She is a very competitive, hard-working young lady who will make us better. She is consistent when she tees it up and doesn't really get into much trouble. She is a grinder and always finds a way to scrape out pars if she isn't hitting well. We are blessed that she and her family chose FGCU."
"I chose FGCU because of its wonderful campus," Edwards said. "It has the PGM program, which I am excited to be a part of and, overall, I am looking forward to playing golf at the next level and working with Coach Trew and the team."
Sadie Chlapowski:
Chlapowski hails from St. Petersburg, Florida and will join as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining after spending her first two years at NJCAA Daytona State College.
Chlapowski helped lead Daytona State College to the NJCAA national championship in 2017-18. She finished in a 36th-place tie at the Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship in July and won the North Florida PGA Jr. Tour's Event No. 1 with a 75. Moreover, she was selected to play in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and was selected to be on the Golf Channel's Morning Drive because of it.
Chlapowski hails from St. Petersburg, Florida and will join as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining after spending her first two years at NJCAA Daytona State College.
Chlapowski helped lead Daytona State College to the NJCAA national championship in 2017-18. She finished in a 36th-place tie at the Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship in July and won the North Florida PGA Jr. Tour's Event No. 1 with a 75. Moreover, she was selected to play in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and was selected to be on the Golf Channel's Morning Drive because of it.
"We are thrilled that Sadie will be joining us next year," Trew said. "She loves FGCU and is going to bring a huge amount of energy to everything she does here. Coming from Daytona State and seeing her team win a national championship last year, she knows what kind of hard and work and dedication it takes to achieve the big goals we have set for ourselves. I believe with her experience that she is going to step into a leadership role for us and help push people to give 100 percent. She is a great person and we are lucky to have her."
Academically, Chlapowski was a President's List student at Boca Ciega, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in the top 10 percent of her class.
"I think I will really enjoy my time at FGCU," Chlapowski said of her decision. "I love the beach-oriented campus and the fact that it's close to home. I really like Coach Trew and the girls on the team. I think it's the perfect fit for me."
Eagles History in MMPC:
This will be the fourth time that the Eagles will be competing in the Mid-American Match Play Challenge. The first time was on February 8-9, 2016, where they entered as the #11 seed. They would upset #6 seed Central Michigan 5-0 before falling to #3 seed Akron 3-1-1 in the quarterfinals. The Eagles would claim fifth after upsetting #5 seed Western Michigan 3-1-1 in the consolation bracket before claiming 5th place with a 2-2-1 win over #7 seed Bowling Green. The eventual winner was Kent State.
Last Year, the Eagles entered as the #2 seed where they finished as the runner-up after thy defeated #7 seed Ohio 4-1 in the quarterfinals and #3 seed Northern Illinois 3-2 in the semifinals before falling 2-3 to the #1 seed and eventual winner Kent State.
This will be the fourth time that the Eagles will be competing in the Mid-American Match Play Challenge. The first time was on February 8-9, 2016, where they entered as the #11 seed. They would upset #6 seed Central Michigan 5-0 before falling to #3 seed Akron 3-1-1 in the quarterfinals. The Eagles would claim fifth after upsetting #5 seed Western Michigan 3-1-1 in the consolation bracket before claiming 5th place with a 2-2-1 win over #7 seed Bowling Green. The eventual winner was Kent State.
Last Year, the Eagles entered as the #2 seed where they finished as the runner-up after thy defeated #7 seed Ohio 4-1 in the quarterfinals and #3 seed Northern Illinois 3-2 in the semifinals before falling 2-3 to the #1 seed and eventual winner Kent State.
Scouting Host BGSU:
The Falcons recently competed in the Spring Cup Challenge in Bradenton. They closed the fall season with a 5th place finis in the Central Michigan MAC Fall Preview on October 14 and 15th and most recently competed in the Spring Cup Challenge in Bradenton where they defeated Ohio 8-4.
Juniors Erin Fahey and Julia Durkin lead the Falcons individually as they both finished tied for 16th place with a final score of 151 each at the MAC Fall Preview. In the Spring Cup Challenge, Fahey teamed with sophomore Nicole Cox for a 2 & 1 win while Durkin teamed with sophomore Sammi Blackburn for a 4 & 3 win
Falcons Series History in MMPC:
This will be the sixth season that the Falcons will host the tournament. Last season, the Falcons went 1-3 in the tournament. After defeating Central Michigan 3-2, they would fall 4-1 to Northern Illinois, 4-1 to Akron and 2-1-2 to UNC-Asheville.
Scouting Northern Illinois:
The Huskies are coming off of a 6th place finish in the UC Irvine Invitational on October 29-30, 2018.
Junior Kelly Anderson tied for 21st with a final score of 225 with a 9-over-par.
Fellow junior Brielle Ward joined Anderson in the top 25. Ward finished with a 226 and a 10-over-par.
Huskies Match History in MMPC:
This will be the seventh straight year for Northern Illinois to compete in the MAPC. Last season, the Huskies finished 3rd in the MMPC. They defeated host Bowling Green 4-1 in the second round before falling 3-2 to FGCU in the semifinals. They were able to claim third place after defeating Western Michigan 4-0-1.
Scouting Akron:
The Zips are coming off of a 11th place finish in the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational hosted by Kentucky on October 5-6, 2018 and a 4th place finish in the Central Michigan Fall Preview on October 14 and 15 to end their fall season.
Senior Danielle Nicholson led Akron's scoring in the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational. Nicholson finished tied for 25th with a final score of 211 and a five-over-par. She was the only Zip to reach the top 25. Meanwhile in the Fall Preview, Nicholson
Zips Match History in MMPC:
This will be the sixth straight season that the Zips competed in the MAPC. Last season, the Zips were named the runner-up. After receiving a first round bye, the Zips deafted NIU in the quarterfinals and Oakland in the semifinals before losing the final matchup 5-0 to Lamar.
Scouting Western Michigan:
The Broncos recently competed in the Lady Blue Hen Invitational, hosted by Delaware on October 20 and 21, 2018. WMU finished second to last (12th) out of 13 teams.
Freshman Fiona Wang was the Broncos' top finisher on the day, tying for 25th with a 230 (+17) Wang opened the tournament shooting a 72 and then a 77 before wrapping up the weekend with an 81 on Saturday. Junior Jasmine Chee finished with a 233 (+20) and was followed by senior Claire Hernandez with a 236 (+23). Sophomore Cameryn Lucia finished with a 249 (+36) and freshman Brooke Gibbons shot a 251 (+38)
Broncos Match History in MMPC:
Last time in the MMPC, the Broncos finished in 5th place. After receiving a first round bye, they would fall to Oakland in the quarterfinals before Ohio in the consolation bracket and Northern Illinois in the 5th place match to claim 5th place.
Scouting Ohio:
The Bobcats are coming off tied for eighth place in the Central Michigan Fall Preview on October 14 and 15th, 2018, and most recently competed in the Spring Cup Challenge in Bradenton where they fell 8-4 to host Bowling Green.
Freshman Catherine Loftus finished tied for 15th place, which was her best finish as a Bobcat thus far. Loftus finished the tournament on Monday with a third-round score of 83, giving her a two-day total of 227 (+11).
Bobcats Match History in MMPC:
The Bobcats finished 8th last time in the MMPC defeating BGSU in the first round before falling to Lamar in the quarterfinals and Eastern Michigan in the 7th place consolation match. This will be there
Scouting EMU:
The Eastern Michigan Eagles played in Bradenton earlier as they recently competed in the Pat Bradley Invitational, hosted by FIU, on October 21-22, 2018 where they finished 14th out of 15 teams.
Sophomore Preaw Sripatrprasite tied for 22nd-place with a three-over 219 (73-74-72) in the fall.
EMU Match History in MMPC:
Four Chippewas placed in the top 25: seniors Bria Colosky (t-8th) and Holly Hines (t-11th), junior Jami Laude (t-11th) and sophomore Rachel Leucata (t-17th).
The Mastodons are coming off of finishing in last place at the MAC Fall Preview, hosted by Central Michigan.
Sophomore Holly Anderson set a new Purdue Fort Wayne women's golf record for 54-hole score on the final day of the MAC Fall Preview. Anderson's two-day score of 221 sets a new 54-hole mark by six strokes, breaking the old record of 227 she had tied earlier this season. She carded a 75 during the final round, which included a pair of birdies, as she tied for sixth place. Anderson finished the tournament with the lowest average par-3 score among all players.
Mastodons Match History in MMPC:
Overall, the Mastodons are 3-6 overall in the MMPC. Last time out, the Mastodons fell to FGCU before earning wins over Dayton and Central Michigan.
Since they are the No. 2 seed for the Mid-American Match Play Challenge, FGCU will have a first round bye where they will await the winner between Ohio and Dayton in the quarterfinals.
Scouting Western Illinois:
The Leathernecks are coming off of a 10th place finish out of 11 teams in the Dayton Fall Invitational, hosted by Dayton on October 15-16, 2018.
Junior Cassidy Jurkaites shot a 77 in the final round to complete the event with a 162 (+22) tied for 44th.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the tournament.
Lineup and Tee Times:
1. Edmonds 12:28 pm
2. Marck-Sherk 12:21 pm
3. Holbert 12:14 pm
4. Nassar: 12:07 pm
5. Clark: noon
Fans cans also keep up on Twitter
Livestats Link: http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=16318
The Falcons recently competed in the Spring Cup Challenge in Bradenton. They closed the fall season with a 5th place finis in the Central Michigan MAC Fall Preview on October 14 and 15th and most recently competed in the Spring Cup Challenge in Bradenton where they defeated Ohio 8-4.
Juniors Erin Fahey and Julia Durkin lead the Falcons individually as they both finished tied for 16th place with a final score of 151 each at the MAC Fall Preview. In the Spring Cup Challenge, Fahey teamed with sophomore Nicole Cox for a 2 & 1 win while Durkin teamed with sophomore Sammi Blackburn for a 4 & 3 win
Falcons Series History in MMPC:
This will be the sixth season that the Falcons will host the tournament. Last season, the Falcons went 1-3 in the tournament. After defeating Central Michigan 3-2, they would fall 4-1 to Northern Illinois, 4-1 to Akron and 2-1-2 to UNC-Asheville.
Scouting Northern Illinois:
The Huskies are coming off of a 6th place finish in the UC Irvine Invitational on October 29-30, 2018.
Junior Kelly Anderson tied for 21st with a final score of 225 with a 9-over-par.
Fellow junior Brielle Ward joined Anderson in the top 25. Ward finished with a 226 and a 10-over-par.
Huskies Match History in MMPC:
This will be the seventh straight year for Northern Illinois to compete in the MAPC. Last season, the Huskies finished 3rd in the MMPC. They defeated host Bowling Green 4-1 in the second round before falling 3-2 to FGCU in the semifinals. They were able to claim third place after defeating Western Michigan 4-0-1.
Scouting Akron:
The Zips are coming off of a 11th place finish in the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational hosted by Kentucky on October 5-6, 2018 and a 4th place finish in the Central Michigan Fall Preview on October 14 and 15 to end their fall season.
Senior Danielle Nicholson led Akron's scoring in the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational. Nicholson finished tied for 25th with a final score of 211 and a five-over-par. She was the only Zip to reach the top 25. Meanwhile in the Fall Preview, Nicholson
Zips Match History in MMPC:
This will be the sixth straight season that the Zips competed in the MAPC. Last season, the Zips were named the runner-up. After receiving a first round bye, the Zips deafted NIU in the quarterfinals and Oakland in the semifinals before losing the final matchup 5-0 to Lamar.
Scouting Western Michigan:
The Broncos recently competed in the Lady Blue Hen Invitational, hosted by Delaware on October 20 and 21, 2018. WMU finished second to last (12th) out of 13 teams.
Freshman Fiona Wang was the Broncos' top finisher on the day, tying for 25th with a 230 (+17) Wang opened the tournament shooting a 72 and then a 77 before wrapping up the weekend with an 81 on Saturday. Junior Jasmine Chee finished with a 233 (+20) and was followed by senior Claire Hernandez with a 236 (+23). Sophomore Cameryn Lucia finished with a 249 (+36) and freshman Brooke Gibbons shot a 251 (+38)
Broncos Match History in MMPC:
Last time in the MMPC, the Broncos finished in 5th place. After receiving a first round bye, they would fall to Oakland in the quarterfinals before Ohio in the consolation bracket and Northern Illinois in the 5th place match to claim 5th place.
Scouting Ohio:
The Bobcats are coming off tied for eighth place in the Central Michigan Fall Preview on October 14 and 15th, 2018, and most recently competed in the Spring Cup Challenge in Bradenton where they fell 8-4 to host Bowling Green.
Freshman Catherine Loftus finished tied for 15th place, which was her best finish as a Bobcat thus far. Loftus finished the tournament on Monday with a third-round score of 83, giving her a two-day total of 227 (+11).
Bobcats Match History in MMPC:
The Bobcats finished 8th last time in the MMPC defeating BGSU in the first round before falling to Lamar in the quarterfinals and Eastern Michigan in the 7th place consolation match. This will be there
Scouting EMU:
The Eastern Michigan Eagles played in Bradenton earlier as they recently competed in the Pat Bradley Invitational, hosted by FIU, on October 21-22, 2018 where they finished 14th out of 15 teams.
Sophomore Preaw Sripatrprasite tied for 22nd-place with a three-over 219 (73-74-72) in the fall.
EMU Match History in MMPC:
This will be the fifth time EMU will competed in the MMPC. Last season, EMU finished seventh in the MMPC. After receiving a first round bye, EMU fell to FGCU in the quarterfinals and NIU in the Consolation bracket before defeating Ohio in the 7th place consolation match.
Scouting Central Michigan:
The Chippewas finished in 5th place out of 13 teams at the Charles Braun Jr. Intercollegiate, hosted by Evansville, on October 22-23, 2018.
Four Chippewas placed in the top 25: seniors Bria Colosky (t-8th) and Holly Hines (t-11th), junior Jami Laude (t-11th) and sophomore Rachel Leucata (t-17th).
Chippewas Match History in MMPC:
Last season, the Chippewas went 0-3 in the MMPC after losing to Oakland, host Bowling Green and Ft. Wayne.
Scouting Purdue-Ft Wayne:Last season, the Chippewas went 0-3 in the MMPC after losing to Oakland, host Bowling Green and Ft. Wayne.
The Mastodons are coming off of finishing in last place at the MAC Fall Preview, hosted by Central Michigan.
Sophomore Holly Anderson set a new Purdue Fort Wayne women's golf record for 54-hole score on the final day of the MAC Fall Preview. Anderson's two-day score of 221 sets a new 54-hole mark by six strokes, breaking the old record of 227 she had tied earlier this season. She carded a 75 during the final round, which included a pair of birdies, as she tied for sixth place. Anderson finished the tournament with the lowest average par-3 score among all players.
Mastodons Match History in MMPC:
Overall, the Mastodons are 3-6 overall in the MMPC. Last time out, the Mastodons fell to FGCU before earning wins over Dayton and Central Michigan.
Since they are the No. 2 seed for the Mid-American Match Play Challenge, FGCU will have a first round bye where they will await the winner between Ohio and Dayton in the quarterfinals.
Scouting Western Illinois:
The Leathernecks are coming off of a 10th place finish out of 11 teams in the Dayton Fall Invitational, hosted by Dayton on October 15-16, 2018.
Junior Cassidy Jurkaites shot a 77 in the final round to complete the event with a 162 (+22) tied for 44th.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the tournament.
Lineup and Tee Times:
1. Edmonds 12:28 pm
2. Marck-Sherk 12:21 pm
3. Holbert 12:14 pm
4. Nassar: 12:07 pm
5. Clark: noon
Fans cans also keep up on Twitter
Livestats Link: http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=16318
FGCU MBB vs JU Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (9-15, 4-5 ASUN) earned its third-straight home win by defeating Jacksonville (10-14, 3-6 ASUN) 73-60 Saturday night inside Alico Arena. With the win, the Eagles are now 13-11 against the Dolphins.
The Eagles were celebrating their Homecoming Week and capped off the festivities with a big A-SUN Conference triumph in front of 4,009 fans.
A trio of Eagles scored in double figures, led by true freshman Zach Scott's 18. Seniors Schadrac Casimir (17) and Dinero Mercurius (11) also notched double digits to lead the Green and Blue to victory.
"That was a great team win tonight. We've had to fight through a lot of adversity this season, and it's nice to see the players respond the way they have lately," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "(Jacksonville) threw the first punch getting ahead 10-0, but we were able to maintain our composure and find a way back in it."
FGCU shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 60.9 percent (14-for-23) at the free-throw line. JU countered with shooting percentages of 35.9 (23-for-64) overall, 29.0 (9-for-31) from deep and 38.5 (5-for-13) from the line.
Senior JD Notae scored 22 points before fouling out, while Tyreese Davis added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Dolphins.
Jacksonville came out rocking, scoring the first 10 points of the game. The visitors maintained that cushion up until finding a 16-6 advantage at the under-12 media timeout. The next six minutes were, quite literally, all FGCU. The Eagles erupted on a 19-0 run that featured eight points from Mercurius and nine combined between freshmen Scott and Caleb Catto. The Dolphins also went 0-for-7 and turned the ball over five times during that critical stretch.
JU was able to get within four late in the opening stanza, but a 3-point basket from Casimir in the final minute of the frame sent FGCU into the locker room with a 32-25 cushion.
The Eagles never trailed in the second half, but the visitors did not allow the home side to run away with the game. Jacksonville closed the gap to within four at the 14:37 mark, but FGCU pushed back on top by 10 at 49-39 with 12 minutes left in the contest. After struggling from the free-throw line early in the game, the Eagles went 13-for-16 down the stretch to help seal the victory. Scott also scored nine of his team-high 18 in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
FGCU outrebounded Jacksonville 36-33 and also led in assists (14-11), blocks (4-2), points in the paint (38-28), points off turnovers (20-15), fast-break points (15-13), and bench points (22-9).
Up Next:
The Eagles remain in Alico Arena for a contest against North Alabama at 7 p.m. Feb. 6. The Wednesday tilt will be a Whiteout, and FGCU will look to split the season series after the Lions knocked off the Green and Blue 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
The Eagles were celebrating their Homecoming Week and capped off the festivities with a big A-SUN Conference triumph in front of 4,009 fans.
A trio of Eagles scored in double figures, led by true freshman Zach Scott's 18. Seniors Schadrac Casimir (17) and Dinero Mercurius (11) also notched double digits to lead the Green and Blue to victory.
"That was a great team win tonight. We've had to fight through a lot of adversity this season, and it's nice to see the players respond the way they have lately," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "(Jacksonville) threw the first punch getting ahead 10-0, but we were able to maintain our composure and find a way back in it."
FGCU shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 60.9 percent (14-for-23) at the free-throw line. JU countered with shooting percentages of 35.9 (23-for-64) overall, 29.0 (9-for-31) from deep and 38.5 (5-for-13) from the line.
Senior JD Notae scored 22 points before fouling out, while Tyreese Davis added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Dolphins.
Jacksonville came out rocking, scoring the first 10 points of the game. The visitors maintained that cushion up until finding a 16-6 advantage at the under-12 media timeout. The next six minutes were, quite literally, all FGCU. The Eagles erupted on a 19-0 run that featured eight points from Mercurius and nine combined between freshmen Scott and Caleb Catto. The Dolphins also went 0-for-7 and turned the ball over five times during that critical stretch.
JU was able to get within four late in the opening stanza, but a 3-point basket from Casimir in the final minute of the frame sent FGCU into the locker room with a 32-25 cushion.
The Eagles never trailed in the second half, but the visitors did not allow the home side to run away with the game. Jacksonville closed the gap to within four at the 14:37 mark, but FGCU pushed back on top by 10 at 49-39 with 12 minutes left in the contest. After struggling from the free-throw line early in the game, the Eagles went 13-for-16 down the stretch to help seal the victory. Scott also scored nine of his team-high 18 in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
FGCU outrebounded Jacksonville 36-33 and also led in assists (14-11), blocks (4-2), points in the paint (38-28), points off turnovers (20-15), fast-break points (15-13), and bench points (22-9).
Up Next:
The Eagles remain in Alico Arena for a contest against North Alabama at 7 p.m. Feb. 6. The Wednesday tilt will be a Whiteout, and FGCU will look to split the season series after the Lions knocked off the Green and Blue 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
FGCU WTEN vs FAU Recap
The FGCU women's tennis team (3-2) capped off its weekend taking down cross-state foe FAU (1-3) 5-2, Saturday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex. With the win, the Eagles are now 10-2 against the Owls.
"The ladies fought very hard today," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "The energy was really good and they did a good job sticking to the plan. We're looking forward to getting back to work on Monday in preparation for Florida State."
"Fitness is improving, but is still playing a vital role in a few match outcomes," said FAU head coach Marcy Cava. "We have a new team this semester, so we are still learning the importance of relying on each other."
FGCU got off to a strong start in doubles competition, taking all three matches for the first time this season. The No. 1 team of junior Maja Ornberg and senior Julia Ascúa (3-1) were the first tandem to finish, taking their match 6-3 against the team of freshman May Kimhi and sophomore Natalia Boltinskaya as they moved to 4-1 on the year.
On the final two remaining courts, each Eagle team would battle back from a 1-2 deficit for the win. Junior Sofia Perez and sophomore Madison Gallegos (2-3) came away with a 6-3 triumph over freshman Martina Kudelova and sophomore Natalie. Kallmunzerova, while senior Patricia Villar teamed up with sophomore Sara Kelly (1-0) to claim a 6-3 win over sophomore Jemi Aguilar and senior Kristen Thoms.
Heading into singles competition, senior Ascúa (4-1) bumped FGCU's lead to 2-0, cruising in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, on court No. 3. against Kimhi.
FAU kept the match close as redshirt sophomore Jacara Gillis defeated Gallegos (1-3) with a 6-2 pair decision on court No. 6 and Perez (2-3) fell to Kallmunzerova No. 4. Staring at a 2-2 tie, Kelly regained FGCU's lead after taking down Boltinskaya in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) on court No. 2.
Needing one more victory to seal the match, Ornberg (3-2) came through for the Eagles. Battling back from after a 1-6 loss on the first set, the junior fought her way back, winning her next two sets, 6-4, 6-3 over Kudelova.
The final match was played out on court No. 5 which saw senior Laura Falceto-Font (1-0) also come back after being down in the first set. The senior rallied in the second to take it 6-4 as she produced the same score in the third set over Thoms, en route to the 5-2 final
Up Next:
FGCU will hit the road for the first time this year to face #20 FSU at 1 pm Feb. 9 in Tallahassee, Fla.
"The ladies fought very hard today," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "The energy was really good and they did a good job sticking to the plan. We're looking forward to getting back to work on Monday in preparation for Florida State."
"Fitness is improving, but is still playing a vital role in a few match outcomes," said FAU head coach Marcy Cava. "We have a new team this semester, so we are still learning the importance of relying on each other."
FGCU got off to a strong start in doubles competition, taking all three matches for the first time this season. The No. 1 team of junior Maja Ornberg and senior Julia Ascúa (3-1) were the first tandem to finish, taking their match 6-3 against the team of freshman May Kimhi and sophomore Natalia Boltinskaya as they moved to 4-1 on the year.
On the final two remaining courts, each Eagle team would battle back from a 1-2 deficit for the win. Junior Sofia Perez and sophomore Madison Gallegos (2-3) came away with a 6-3 triumph over freshman Martina Kudelova and sophomore Natalie. Kallmunzerova, while senior Patricia Villar teamed up with sophomore Sara Kelly (1-0) to claim a 6-3 win over sophomore Jemi Aguilar and senior Kristen Thoms.
Heading into singles competition, senior Ascúa (4-1) bumped FGCU's lead to 2-0, cruising in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, on court No. 3. against Kimhi.
FAU kept the match close as redshirt sophomore Jacara Gillis defeated Gallegos (1-3) with a 6-2 pair decision on court No. 6 and Perez (2-3) fell to Kallmunzerova No. 4. Staring at a 2-2 tie, Kelly regained FGCU's lead after taking down Boltinskaya in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) on court No. 2.
Needing one more victory to seal the match, Ornberg (3-2) came through for the Eagles. Battling back from after a 1-6 loss on the first set, the junior fought her way back, winning her next two sets, 6-4, 6-3 over Kudelova.
The final match was played out on court No. 5 which saw senior Laura Falceto-Font (1-0) also come back after being down in the first set. The senior rallied in the second to take it 6-4 as she produced the same score in the third set over Thoms, en route to the 5-2 final
Up Next:
FGCU will hit the road for the first time this year to face #20 FSU at 1 pm Feb. 9 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Raining 3s vs JU Recap
Junior Nasrin Ulel poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the FGCU women's basketball team (17-4, 8-0 A-SUN) to an 82-58 win over Jacksonville (11-11, 4-5) in Alico Arena on Saturday. It was the team's eighth-straight win, which is a new season-high, and the Eagles stretched the program's regular season conference winning streak to 15. With the win, the Eagles are now 24-3 against the Dolphins.
"This was a very tough game, a very physical game," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "I thought Jacksonville played very well. They really crashed the offensive boards and challenged us really well, and I thought we responded well. Nas had an outstanding game. Our guards played very well - Keri and Lisa. And then, Des with the double-double. She came up big for us on both ends of the court."
Ulel's 26 points was two shy of matching her season and career-high. She finished 11-for-18 from the field in 38 minutes while adding two rebounds and two steals. Her point total is tied for seventh-most against an A-SUN opponent in program history, and her field goal total is tied for third-most against a conference team - just two shy of Kaneisha Atwater's 13 against Kennesaw State on Jan. 24, 2015.
Furthermore, Ulel surpassed China Dow (749, 2016-18) on the program's career scoring list and is just 36 points from becoming the 13th player to reach 800 career points in the Green and Blue's Division-I era.
Outside of Ulel, a trio of others scored in double figures including redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles (16 points, five steals, three assists), and redshirt seniors Lisa Zderadicka (13 points, six assists, five rebounds) and Destiny Washington (10 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks). Zderadicka six assists put her at 334 in her career while Washington's two blocks put her at 122 in her career which include the combined 95 blocks she had with Loyola Chicago and Ball State.
Junior Tytionia Adderly added eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal. Those five players have now started every conference game and are producing 72.9 percent of the Eagles' points in A-SUN play.
The Eagles scored 15 of the game's first 18 points, but Jacksonville's Jasmyn Brown drained a trio of 3-point field goals over the first quarter's final 2:31, including one on a five-point possession with just over a minute left, to pull her team within three.
Zderadicka responded by scoring four points in a 10-2 run that pushed FGCU's lead to 11 with 6:04 left in the half. A few minutes later, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan's 3-pointer pushed the margin to 15, although Brown's jumper in the final minute trimmed her team's deficit to just eight at the break.
Ulel scored eight of her 26 points in the third quarter as the Eagles went 8-for-14 from the field to take a 60-46 lead. Jewett-Giles and Zderadicka also combined for 11 in the frame as FGCU pushed its lead to as many as 17 in the final minute.
Then, with Jacksonville down 14 after a Mariah Batz jumper with 5:53 left in the game, Ulel dashed any hopes of a comeback by scoring six straight points to spur a 10-0 run over the next four minutes.
As a team, FGCU finished 31-for-53 (58.5 percent), which was the team's highest shooting percentage against a Division-I team this year. They also shot 13-for-15 from the foul line, which was their second-best percentage (.867) of the year. On the other end, Jacksonville produced 19 offensive rebounds - a season-high for an opponent against the Eagles - which led to a 12-4 advantage in second-chance points. Conversely, the Green and Blue held advantages in points down low (44-28), points off turnovers (21-12) and fast break points (17-2).
Jacksonville's Trudy Walker, who entered the game averaging 10.4 points and a conference-best 10.1 rebounds, was held in check by the FGCU defense. The senior forward recorded just four points and one rebound in 13 minutes.
Ulel's 26-point effort on Saturday gives her 123 in A-SUN play this year, which is three more than she had all of last year over 14 games. Her 15.4 PPG in conference play is on pace to be the second-best single-season in program history behind Sarah Hansen's 2012-13 campaign, where she averaged 16.4 points over 18 conference games.
Adderly's eight rebounds pushes her career total in A-SUN play to 306, which is fourth-best in program history. Next up on the list is Whitney Knight (355, 2011-16).
Furthermore, Adderly's eight defensive rebounds and has 428 in her career The Jupiter native's next milestone is Hansen (558) for second all-time.
In her overall career, Adderly's eight rebounds put her at 728 and is six shy of passing Knight (735) for second all-time.
Zderadicka (984), Washington (936), Jewett-Giles (766) and redshirt junior Davion Wingate (768) inch closer to reaching the 1,000 point milestone.
Up Next:
The Eagles will now clash with second-place North Alabama (16-2, 7-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Alico Arena.
"This was a very tough game, a very physical game," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "I thought Jacksonville played very well. They really crashed the offensive boards and challenged us really well, and I thought we responded well. Nas had an outstanding game. Our guards played very well - Keri and Lisa. And then, Des with the double-double. She came up big for us on both ends of the court."
Ulel's 26 points was two shy of matching her season and career-high. She finished 11-for-18 from the field in 38 minutes while adding two rebounds and two steals. Her point total is tied for seventh-most against an A-SUN opponent in program history, and her field goal total is tied for third-most against a conference team - just two shy of Kaneisha Atwater's 13 against Kennesaw State on Jan. 24, 2015.
Furthermore, Ulel surpassed China Dow (749, 2016-18) on the program's career scoring list and is just 36 points from becoming the 13th player to reach 800 career points in the Green and Blue's Division-I era.
Outside of Ulel, a trio of others scored in double figures including redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles (16 points, five steals, three assists), and redshirt seniors Lisa Zderadicka (13 points, six assists, five rebounds) and Destiny Washington (10 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks). Zderadicka six assists put her at 334 in her career while Washington's two blocks put her at 122 in her career which include the combined 95 blocks she had with Loyola Chicago and Ball State.
Junior Tytionia Adderly added eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal. Those five players have now started every conference game and are producing 72.9 percent of the Eagles' points in A-SUN play.
The Eagles scored 15 of the game's first 18 points, but Jacksonville's Jasmyn Brown drained a trio of 3-point field goals over the first quarter's final 2:31, including one on a five-point possession with just over a minute left, to pull her team within three.
Zderadicka responded by scoring four points in a 10-2 run that pushed FGCU's lead to 11 with 6:04 left in the half. A few minutes later, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan's 3-pointer pushed the margin to 15, although Brown's jumper in the final minute trimmed her team's deficit to just eight at the break.
Ulel scored eight of her 26 points in the third quarter as the Eagles went 8-for-14 from the field to take a 60-46 lead. Jewett-Giles and Zderadicka also combined for 11 in the frame as FGCU pushed its lead to as many as 17 in the final minute.
Then, with Jacksonville down 14 after a Mariah Batz jumper with 5:53 left in the game, Ulel dashed any hopes of a comeback by scoring six straight points to spur a 10-0 run over the next four minutes.
As a team, FGCU finished 31-for-53 (58.5 percent), which was the team's highest shooting percentage against a Division-I team this year. They also shot 13-for-15 from the foul line, which was their second-best percentage (.867) of the year. On the other end, Jacksonville produced 19 offensive rebounds - a season-high for an opponent against the Eagles - which led to a 12-4 advantage in second-chance points. Conversely, the Green and Blue held advantages in points down low (44-28), points off turnovers (21-12) and fast break points (17-2).
Jacksonville's Trudy Walker, who entered the game averaging 10.4 points and a conference-best 10.1 rebounds, was held in check by the FGCU defense. The senior forward recorded just four points and one rebound in 13 minutes.
Ulel's 26-point effort on Saturday gives her 123 in A-SUN play this year, which is three more than she had all of last year over 14 games. Her 15.4 PPG in conference play is on pace to be the second-best single-season in program history behind Sarah Hansen's 2012-13 campaign, where she averaged 16.4 points over 18 conference games.
Adderly's eight rebounds pushes her career total in A-SUN play to 306, which is fourth-best in program history. Next up on the list is Whitney Knight (355, 2011-16).
Furthermore, Adderly's eight defensive rebounds and has 428 in her career The Jupiter native's next milestone is Hansen (558) for second all-time.
In her overall career, Adderly's eight rebounds put her at 728 and is six shy of passing Knight (735) for second all-time.
Zderadicka (984), Washington (936), Jewett-Giles (766) and redshirt junior Davion Wingate (768) inch closer to reaching the 1,000 point milestone.
Up Next:
The Eagles will now clash with second-place North Alabama (16-2, 7-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Alico Arena.
FGCU MBB vs JU Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team will play host to Jacksonville at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 inside Alico Arena. The Saturday tilt will be part of the campus-wide Homecoming Week festivities and will also be a Blueout. The contest will be sponsored by NCH Healthcare Systems.
The Eagles (8-15, 3-5 A-SUN) will look to continue their dominant play at home as of late, while the Dolphins (10-13, 3-5 A-SUN) have won two of their last three.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles dropped a tough 66-54 decision to NJIT this past Wednesday night inside NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
The Eagles were led by a career performance from Troy Baxter Jr., as the sophomore went 8-for-16 from the field and tallied career highs in both points (21) and made 3-pointers (4). Senior Schadrac Casimir contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists, and junior Christian Carlyle finished 4-for-6 with eight points.
FGCU shot 48.9 percent (23-for-47) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 25 percent (1-for-4) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) overall, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from distance and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) at the stripe.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins enter Saturday with a 10-13 ledger and a 3-5 mark in the ASUN. The Dolphins rattled off six wins in a seven-game stretch earlier this season, but since that mark they have dropped eight of their last 11. They own league triumphs over Kennesaw State, North Florida and Stetson.
Despite only starting 14 games this season, sophomore JD Notae has become one of the most lethal scorers in the A-SUN. He leads JU in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Redshirt senior Jace Hogan (13.4 ppg) is the only other player to average in double digits, and his 5.6 rebounds per game is also second on the team.
Jacksonville has an impressive 5-7 road record this season, most recently knocking off the Ospreys on their home floor (Jan. 24).
Series History:
This will be the 24th all-time meeting between FGCU and JU. The Eagles hold a narrow 12-11 advantage, which includes victories in the last four meetings. FGCU is also 12-4 against the Dolphins since 2011. Jacksonville claimed the first seven matchups from 2008-10.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB
JU: @JacksonvilleMBB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
1. Alumni Game: FGCU will host an alumni game at 12:30 p.m. in Alico Arena on Saturday prior to the doubleheader against Jacksonville. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.
Here's the rosters for the game:
Blue
Mikala McGhee (2016-17)
Taylor Gradinjan (2012-18)
Eddie Murray (2008-13)
Nate Hicks (2012-15)
Leon Woodstock (2005-06)
Zachery Christian (2011-12)
Scot Wilson (2002-04)
Green
Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17)
China Dow (2016-18)
Marcus Blake (2010-15)
Darrin Wallace (2002-03)
Roman Brown (2002-04)
Marcus Watts (2004-06)
Andrew French (2002-03)
Christian Terrell (2014-18)
2. Laces of Love: FGCU product, World Series champion and current Boston Red Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have once again partnered with local charity, Laces of Love. New shoes/sneakers will be accepted upon entry to Alico Arena on Saturday and will be given to children in need in Lee and Collier counties.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/16860575-9db4-423c-8e66-8cc7948989d5/jacksonville-vs-florida-gulf-coast
The Eagles (8-15, 3-5 A-SUN) will look to continue their dominant play at home as of late, while the Dolphins (10-13, 3-5 A-SUN) have won two of their last three.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles dropped a tough 66-54 decision to NJIT this past Wednesday night inside NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
The Eagles were led by a career performance from Troy Baxter Jr., as the sophomore went 8-for-16 from the field and tallied career highs in both points (21) and made 3-pointers (4). Senior Schadrac Casimir contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists, and junior Christian Carlyle finished 4-for-6 with eight points.
FGCU shot 48.9 percent (23-for-47) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 25 percent (1-for-4) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) overall, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from distance and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) at the stripe.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins enter Saturday with a 10-13 ledger and a 3-5 mark in the ASUN. The Dolphins rattled off six wins in a seven-game stretch earlier this season, but since that mark they have dropped eight of their last 11. They own league triumphs over Kennesaw State, North Florida and Stetson.
Despite only starting 14 games this season, sophomore JD Notae has become one of the most lethal scorers in the A-SUN. He leads JU in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Redshirt senior Jace Hogan (13.4 ppg) is the only other player to average in double digits, and his 5.6 rebounds per game is also second on the team.
Jacksonville has an impressive 5-7 road record this season, most recently knocking off the Ospreys on their home floor (Jan. 24).
Series History:
This will be the 24th all-time meeting between FGCU and JU. The Eagles hold a narrow 12-11 advantage, which includes victories in the last four meetings. FGCU is also 12-4 against the Dolphins since 2011. Jacksonville claimed the first seven matchups from 2008-10.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB
JU: @JacksonvilleMBB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
1. Alumni Game: FGCU will host an alumni game at 12:30 p.m. in Alico Arena on Saturday prior to the doubleheader against Jacksonville. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.
Here's the rosters for the game:
Blue
Mikala McGhee (2016-17)
Taylor Gradinjan (2012-18)
Eddie Murray (2008-13)
Nate Hicks (2012-15)
Leon Woodstock (2005-06)
Zachery Christian (2011-12)
Scot Wilson (2002-04)
Green
Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17)
China Dow (2016-18)
Marcus Blake (2010-15)
Darrin Wallace (2002-03)
Roman Brown (2002-04)
Marcus Watts (2004-06)
Andrew French (2002-03)
Christian Terrell (2014-18)
2. Laces of Love: FGCU product, World Series champion and current Boston Red Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have once again partnered with local charity, Laces of Love. New shoes/sneakers will be accepted upon entry to Alico Arena on Saturday and will be given to children in need in Lee and Collier counties.
3. Blue Out: Marketing is encouraging fans to wear blue to the game.
4. Homecoming Weekend: This will be the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles. The following others will be a part of the alumni basketball game-
a. Homecoming Tailgate*: Enjoy food, cash bar, games and live music from SOWFLO.
b. Breakfast with Azul*: Join Azul for an all-you-can eat buffet at Sovi. Activities for the kids, photo opportunities with Azul and lots of yummy food.
c. Brunch with the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network*: End Homecoming at Brunch Bar & Patio! Enjoy delicious food and drink with your fellow alumni before you head home. We will have special seating starting at 10am! All alumni, family, and friends are invited to attend this event hosted by the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=2388194. Homecoming Weekend: This will be the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles. The following others will be a part of the alumni basketball game-
a. Homecoming Tailgate*: Enjoy food, cash bar, games and live music from SOWFLO.
b. Breakfast with Azul*: Join Azul for an all-you-can eat buffet at Sovi. Activities for the kids, photo opportunities with Azul and lots of yummy food.
c. Brunch with the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network*: End Homecoming at Brunch Bar & Patio! Enjoy delicious food and drink with your fellow alumni before you head home. We will have special seating starting at 10am! All alumni, family, and friends are invited to attend this event hosted by the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/16860575-9db4-423c-8e66-8cc7948989d5/jacksonville-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Raining 3s vs JU Preview
The FGCU women's basketball team (16-4, 7-0 A-SUN) will attempt to win a season-high eighth-straight game when it hosts Jacksonville (11-10, 4-4 A-SUN) at 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 2 inside Alico Arena. The game will be a doubleheader as the men will play at 7 pm.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles, who are ranked #5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, are coming off of a 67-35 win over NJIT January 29 on the road and currently sit in first place in the A-SUN.
Offensively, the Eagles are led by junior Nasrin Ulel and redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles.
Ulel is averaging 14.9 points and 1.1 steals per game. Against NJIT, Ulel had 16 points and four steals. Currently, Ulel sits 14th all-time with 738 points in her career and is 12 shy of passing China Dow (749, 2016-18) for 13th all-time.
Meanwhile, Jewett-Giles is averaging 13 points per game. The Ft. Myers product had 12 points and three assists against NJIT. Jewett-Giles has 762 career points.
After falling into a slump the past three games since her injury against North Alabama, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan finally found her groove against NJIT where she finished with eight points with six from the 3-point line. The reigning FGCU Scholar-Athlete of the Month is averaging 8.2 points.
Redshirt Davion Wingate is averaging 7.3 points per game. Against NJIT, Wingate finished with eight points.
The Empress of Assists:
Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka has done wonder as her new role of the "Empress of Assists". Zderadicka is averaging nine points and 3.8 assists per game. Against NJIT, Zderadicka had five points and four assists. Zderadicka currently has 328 career assists, which include the 152 assists with Houston Baptist.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles, who are ranked #5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, are coming off of a 67-35 win over NJIT January 29 on the road and currently sit in first place in the A-SUN.
Offensively, the Eagles are led by junior Nasrin Ulel and redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles.
Ulel is averaging 14.9 points and 1.1 steals per game. Against NJIT, Ulel had 16 points and four steals. Currently, Ulel sits 14th all-time with 738 points in her career and is 12 shy of passing China Dow (749, 2016-18) for 13th all-time.
Meanwhile, Jewett-Giles is averaging 13 points per game. The Ft. Myers product had 12 points and three assists against NJIT. Jewett-Giles has 762 career points.
After falling into a slump the past three games since her injury against North Alabama, redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan finally found her groove against NJIT where she finished with eight points with six from the 3-point line. The reigning FGCU Scholar-Athlete of the Month is averaging 8.2 points.
Redshirt Davion Wingate is averaging 7.3 points per game. Against NJIT, Wingate finished with eight points.
The Empress of Assists:
Redshirt senior Lisa Zderadicka has done wonder as her new role of the "Empress of Assists". Zderadicka is averaging nine points and 3.8 assists per game. Against NJIT, Zderadicka had five points and four assists. Zderadicka currently has 328 career assists, which include the 152 assists with Houston Baptist.
The Rebound Queens:
As far as rebounding, leading the way for the Eagles in the category are junior Tytionia Adderly and redshirt senior Destiny Washington.
Adderly is averaging 5.7 points and eight rebounds per game. Adderly had three points and eight rebounds against NJIT (four offensive, four defensive). Adderly has 297 career offensive rebounds and is three shy of becoming the second player to reach 300 career offensive rebounds and 33 from passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader while for defensive rebounds, she has 422 in her career as she passed Adrianne McNally (418, 2002-04) for fourth all-time and Courtney Chihil (420, 2008-12) for third all-time. The Jupiter, Florida native's next milestone is Hansen (558) for second all-time
In overall rebounds, Adderly became the third Eagle to reach 700 career rebounds and has 719 (3rd all-time). Adderly trails Whitney Knight (735, 2011-12, 2013-16) and needs 17 to pass Knight for 2nd all-time. In addition, Adderly eclipsed 500 career points and now sits at 511.
Meanwhile, Washington is averaging 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Loyola Chicago/Ball State transfer had nine points and three rebounds against NJIT. Washington reached 600 career rebounds and currently has 615.
Milestones:
Zderadicka, Washington and Wingate continue to trend toward 1,000 points in their NCAA careers (Zderadicka, 971; Washington, 926; Wingate, 764), but additionally Jewett-Giles is also on track as she has 750 in her career.
Scouting Jacksonville:
The Dolphins, who are led by first-year head coach Darnell Haney, a former assistant coach under Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who is now the head coach at Ole Miss, are coming off of a two straight home losses to Liberty (85-75) and Stetson (69-56) and currently sit in fifth in the A-SUN.
Offensively, senior Jasmyn Brown, a preseason All-ASUN selection, leads the Dolphins at 15.6 PPG, while adding five rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals and nearly one block per game. Brown had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals against Liberty and 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists against Stetson.
Meanwhile, senior Trudy Walker, who appeared in just 15 games last year, has made tremendous improvement is averaging a double-double of 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. She notched her sixth double-double against Liberty (14 points and 12 rebounds) and her seventh double-double against Stetson (16 points and 16 rebounds).
Series History:
FGCU is 23-3 all-time against Jacksonville. The Eagles are 14-1 in Alico Arena and have won four straight in the series, including three hard-fought wins last year that culminated with a victory in the A-SUN championship game in Fort Myers.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
1. Alumni Game: FGCU will host an alumni game at 12:30 p.m. in Alico Arena on Saturday prior to the doubleheader against Jacksonville. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.
Here's the rosters for the game:
Blue
Mikala McGhee (2016-17)
Taylor Gradinjan (2012-18)
Eddie Murray (2008-13)
Nate Hicks (2012-15)
Leon Woodstock (2005-06)
Zachery Christian (2011-12)
Scot Wilson (2002-04)
Green
Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17)
China Dow (2016-18)
Marcus Blake (2010-15)
Darrin Wallace (2002-03)
Roman Brown (2002-04)
Marcus Watts (2004-06)
Andrew French (2002-03)
Christian Terrell (2014-18)
2. Laces of Love: FGCU product, World Series champion and current Boston Red Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have once again partnered with local charity, Laces of Love. New shoes/sneakers will be accepted upon entry to Alico Arena on Saturday and will be given to children in need in Lee and Collier counties.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/69182d33-a72e-424c-8253-d7174e00af2d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast
As far as rebounding, leading the way for the Eagles in the category are junior Tytionia Adderly and redshirt senior Destiny Washington.
Adderly is averaging 5.7 points and eight rebounds per game. Adderly had three points and eight rebounds against NJIT (four offensive, four defensive). Adderly has 297 career offensive rebounds and is three shy of becoming the second player to reach 300 career offensive rebounds and 33 from passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader while for defensive rebounds, she has 422 in her career as she passed Adrianne McNally (418, 2002-04) for fourth all-time and Courtney Chihil (420, 2008-12) for third all-time. The Jupiter, Florida native's next milestone is Hansen (558) for second all-time
In overall rebounds, Adderly became the third Eagle to reach 700 career rebounds and has 719 (3rd all-time). Adderly trails Whitney Knight (735, 2011-12, 2013-16) and needs 17 to pass Knight for 2nd all-time. In addition, Adderly eclipsed 500 career points and now sits at 511.
Meanwhile, Washington is averaging 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Loyola Chicago/Ball State transfer had nine points and three rebounds against NJIT. Washington reached 600 career rebounds and currently has 615.
Milestones:
Zderadicka, Washington and Wingate continue to trend toward 1,000 points in their NCAA careers (Zderadicka, 971; Washington, 926; Wingate, 764), but additionally Jewett-Giles is also on track as she has 750 in her career.
Scouting Jacksonville:
The Dolphins, who are led by first-year head coach Darnell Haney, a former assistant coach under Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who is now the head coach at Ole Miss, are coming off of a two straight home losses to Liberty (85-75) and Stetson (69-56) and currently sit in fifth in the A-SUN.
Offensively, senior Jasmyn Brown, a preseason All-ASUN selection, leads the Dolphins at 15.6 PPG, while adding five rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals and nearly one block per game. Brown had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals against Liberty and 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists against Stetson.
Meanwhile, senior Trudy Walker, who appeared in just 15 games last year, has made tremendous improvement is averaging a double-double of 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. She notched her sixth double-double against Liberty (14 points and 12 rebounds) and her seventh double-double against Stetson (16 points and 16 rebounds).
Series History:
FGCU is 23-3 all-time against Jacksonville. The Eagles are 14-1 in Alico Arena and have won four straight in the series, including three hard-fought wins last year that culminated with a victory in the A-SUN championship game in Fort Myers.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
JU: @JAX_WBB
ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
1. Alumni Game: FGCU will host an alumni game at 12:30 p.m. in Alico Arena on Saturday prior to the doubleheader against Jacksonville. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.
Here's the rosters for the game:
Blue
Mikala McGhee (2016-17)
Taylor Gradinjan (2012-18)
Eddie Murray (2008-13)
Nate Hicks (2012-15)
Leon Woodstock (2005-06)
Zachery Christian (2011-12)
Scot Wilson (2002-04)
Green
Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17)
China Dow (2016-18)
Marcus Blake (2010-15)
Darrin Wallace (2002-03)
Roman Brown (2002-04)
Marcus Watts (2004-06)
Andrew French (2002-03)
Christian Terrell (2014-18)
2. Laces of Love: FGCU product, World Series champion and current Boston Red Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have once again partnered with local charity, Laces of Love. New shoes/sneakers will be accepted upon entry to Alico Arena on Saturday and will be given to children in need in Lee and Collier counties.
3. Blue Out: Marketing is encouraging fans to wear blue to the game.
4. Homecoming Weekend: This will be the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles. The following others will be a part of the alumni basketball game-
a. Homecoming Tailgate*: Enjoy food, cash bar, games and live music from SOWFLO.
b. Breakfast with Azul*: Join Azul for an all-you-can eat buffet at Sovi. Activities for the kids, photo opportunities with Azul and lots of yummy food.
c. Brunch with the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network*: End Homecoming at Brunch Bar & Patio! Enjoy delicious food and drink with your fellow alumni before you head home. We will have special seating starting at 10am! All alumni, family, and friends are invited to attend this event hosted by the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=2441204. Homecoming Weekend: This will be the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles. The following others will be a part of the alumni basketball game-
a. Homecoming Tailgate*: Enjoy food, cash bar, games and live music from SOWFLO.
b. Breakfast with Azul*: Join Azul for an all-you-can eat buffet at Sovi. Activities for the kids, photo opportunities with Azul and lots of yummy food.
c. Brunch with the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network*: End Homecoming at Brunch Bar & Patio! Enjoy delicious food and drink with your fellow alumni before you head home. We will have special seating starting at 10am! All alumni, family, and friends are invited to attend this event hosted by the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/69182d33-a72e-424c-8253-d7174e00af2d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast
FGCU WTEN vs MTSU Recap
The FGCU women's tennis team (2-2) opened the month of February in stellar fashion, claiming a 5-2 victory over Middle Tennessee (1-4) Friday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
"Today we had the opportunity to grow and we are thankful for that," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "Middle Tennessee is a solid team. The bottom line and the most important thing for this team are that we control what we can control and continue to hold each other to a high standard like the strong confident players they are. I am especially proud of our freshman Ariana, who led the way in cheering behind the courts. We're looking forward to competing again tomorrow."
FGCU got off to a quick start, thanks to a pair of doubles wins, starting on the premier court. Junior Maja Ornberg and senior Julia Ascúa moved to 3-1 on the year courtesy of a 6-3 triumph. Minutes later, the tandem of junior Sofia Perez and sophomore Madison Gallegos (1-3) clinched the doubles point on court No. 2 with a 6-4 victory. Court No. 3 involving senior Patricia Villar and sophomore Sara Kelly would be marked as unfinished at 5-5.
The Eagles continued to build their lead in singles action as Ascúa (3-1) garnered the first match on court No. 3 in straight sets (6-2, 6-2). Kelly (2-1) was right behind her teammate as the Naples native cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory on court No. 2.
Ahead 3-0, Perez (2-2) officially sealed the match for the Eagles, registering a 6-4, 6-1 win on court No. 4.
Playing on the top court all season, Ornberg (2-2) took down her counterpart 6-4, 6-1 to give the Eagles their fifth point of the afternoon. FGCU would fall on the final remaining courts as each of them were decided in a close third-set tiebreaker.
Up Next:
FGCU is back on the courts tomorrow morning at 11 am taking on cross-state foe FAU.
"Today we had the opportunity to grow and we are thankful for that," said head coach Courtney Vernon. "Middle Tennessee is a solid team. The bottom line and the most important thing for this team are that we control what we can control and continue to hold each other to a high standard like the strong confident players they are. I am especially proud of our freshman Ariana, who led the way in cheering behind the courts. We're looking forward to competing again tomorrow."
FGCU got off to a quick start, thanks to a pair of doubles wins, starting on the premier court. Junior Maja Ornberg and senior Julia Ascúa moved to 3-1 on the year courtesy of a 6-3 triumph. Minutes later, the tandem of junior Sofia Perez and sophomore Madison Gallegos (1-3) clinched the doubles point on court No. 2 with a 6-4 victory. Court No. 3 involving senior Patricia Villar and sophomore Sara Kelly would be marked as unfinished at 5-5.
The Eagles continued to build their lead in singles action as Ascúa (3-1) garnered the first match on court No. 3 in straight sets (6-2, 6-2). Kelly (2-1) was right behind her teammate as the Naples native cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory on court No. 2.
Ahead 3-0, Perez (2-2) officially sealed the match for the Eagles, registering a 6-4, 6-1 win on court No. 4.
Playing on the top court all season, Ornberg (2-2) took down her counterpart 6-4, 6-1 to give the Eagles their fifth point of the afternoon. FGCU would fall on the final remaining courts as each of them were decided in a close third-set tiebreaker.
Up Next:
FGCU is back on the courts tomorrow morning at 11 am taking on cross-state foe FAU.
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