LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 3 Southeastern University women's basketball team has opened up this season with prolific scoring and dominant defense. The Fire have registered triple digits in three of their last four games while holding opponents to an average of 56.3. Southeastern is fresh off a week where it outscored its two opponents by 95 points. The Fire's 68 point margin of victory over Keiser last week was the largest margin of victory versus a Sun Conference opponent in program history. SEU now shifts focus to a road exhibition versus NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast before resuming TSC play with a contest at Ave Maria that will determine who sits atop the conference standings.
GAMES: Florida Gulf Coast (7-2) vs. No. 3 Southeastern (11-0) Tuesday 4:30 p.m.|
Ave Maria (10-0, 4-0 TSC) vs. No. 3 Southeastern (11-0, 4-0 TSC)
COVERAGE: FGCU:
Watch Live Stats AMU:
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SUNSHINE SUPERIOR: The Fire are currently riding a 35 game regular season win streak. This includes 32 straight wins within the state of Florida. The last time SEU lost a game in The Sunshine State was on 1/25/16 versus Keiser. Since then, the Fire have outscored teams in games played in Florida by an average of 28.9 points. The most points surrendered by Southeastern during that stretch is 68.
ANA ASTOUNDS: Senior guard Ana Richter is having a special 2017-18 season thus far. Richter has posted eight consecutive games of 22 points scored or more (a program record), and 15 consecutive contests as a double digit scorer. The Oxford, Ohio native shot a remarkable 92% from the floor last week (23-25), including a perfect 12-12 versus Keiser.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS: This will be the first time Southeastern and Florida Gulf Coast have squared off since 1/25/03, when the Eagles defeated the Fire 103-31 during FGCU's first year as a program. Southeastern has won four straight versus Ave Maria, having not dropped a contest to the Gyrenes since 2/24/15. SEU trails the all-time series versus AMU 12-9.
THE EAGLES: Florida Gulf Coast is looking to continue to cultivate the culture of success it has established throughout its program. FGCU has posted 13 consecutive 20 win seasons, won five of the last six Atlantic Sun regular season titles, and earned berths in the NCAA Tournament three of the last four years. This season, the Eagles are off to a 7-2 start and feature four players who average double digit scoring. This includes senior forward Rosemarie Julien, who leads FGCU with 13.1 points per game. The Port St. Lucie native has posted five consecutive double digit scoring efforts and has a pair of double-doubles on the year. The Eagles welcome the Fire into Alico Arena, a place where FGCU is 231-18 at all-time and has won 23 of its last 24 contests at.
THE GYRENES: At 11-0, Ave Maria is off to its best start in program history. At 4-0 in Sun Conference action, a win versus Southeastern would earn the Gyrenes their first 5-0 TSC start since joining the conference. AMU has been stingy on the defensive side of play thus far. The Gyrenes rank fourth in NAIA Division II in opponent field goal percentage (.322), fifth in 3-Pt FG percentage defense (.250), and ninth in total rebound margin (10.1). Ave Maria features two starters who average a double-double. Senior guard Lauren Gillingham averages 14.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while sophomore forward Sarah Miller has averaged 13.8 points and 10.5 boards a game. Miller has been especially dialed in as of late, averaging 20 points per game over her last three contests, earning her TSC Player of the Week honors last week.
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