LAKELAND, Fla. – After a two week holiday layoff, the No. 3 Southeastern University women's basketball team, one of two remaining NAIA Division II teams, is set to play its first basketball of 2018. The Fire are slated with a pair of home Sun Conference matchups, as SEU welcomes Thomas and Coastal Georgia into The Furnace.
GAMES: No. 3 Southeastern (14-0, 5-0 TSC) vs. Thomas (5-6, 2-4 TSC) Thursday 6:00 p.m. | No. 3 Southeastern (14-0, 5-0 TSC) vs. Coastal Georgia (9-4, 5-1 TSC) Saturday 5:00 p.m.
COVERAGE: Live Video Live Stats
FIRE BENCH: The depth of the SEU rotation has made it nearly impossible for teams to battle back from early deficits, averaging 23.07 points per game. Senior small forward Anissa Toumi has been a catalyst as of late for the Fire off the bench. Toumi is averaging eight points over her last four contests and averaging four rebounds. The Meyrin, Switzerland native filled the stat sheet in the Fire's last matchup versus No. 20 Saint Francis, setting season high marks in rebounds (8) and assists (8).
FIRE ALL-TIME: The Fire lead the all-time series versus Thomas 6-2. This will mark the first ever meeting between the Southeastern and Coastal Georgia programs.
THE NIGHT HAWKS: Thomas has lost three of its last four contests. However, two of those losses came against Top 25 teams during their participation in the Keiser Classic. While the Night Hawks are not the most prolific scoring team in the conference, averaging just 52.8 points per game, Thomas does effectively create defensive pressure. The Night Hawks average 12 steals per contest which ranks 16
th in the nation, and boast the fifth best three point field goal percentage defense in NAIA DII (.262). Senior guard Kriza Allen is the leading scorer for Thomas, averaging 13.9 points per game, including 19.3 over her last three outings.
THE MARINERS: Coastal Georgia currently sits in the upper echelon of the conference standings, residing in third place with a 5-1 TSC record. Most recently the Mariners suffered an 84-51 loss to Edward Waters at home. Coastal Georgia features freshman guard Solrun Gisladottir, who ranks eighth in NAIA DII in three point field goals made per game (3.364) and 38
th in three point percentage (.425). Junior forward Brianna Gipson has been a key component to the Mariners' success on both sides of possession. Gipson has been a double-digit scorer in seven of the nine Coastal Georgia victories and averages 6.7 rebounds per game.
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