LAKELAND, Fla.- The newly-ranked No. 1 Southeastern University women's basketball team continues to implement a championship mentality into every match-up they face. The Fire turned in another 2-0 performance in Sun Conference play this past week with a 98-61 win over Johnson & Wales on the road and a 115-59 handling of Keiser at home. SEU now turns its attention to a lone road contest this week at Ave Maria on Saturday.
GAME:
No. 1 Southeastern (16-2, 8-0 TSC) at Ave Maria (13-5, 6-2 TSC)
Saturday | 2:00 p.m. | Tom Golisano Field House | Ave Maria, Fla.
COVERAGE:
WATCH/LIVE STATS
FIRE FOCUS:
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- Junior forward Taylah Simmons has crafted her phenomenal scoring pattern as of late into a regular rhythm. The Melbourne, Australia native  eclipsed  the SEU single-game program record for points scored twice in a span of just three days, first with 36 points versus Johnson & Wales and then with a 45-point effort against Keiser on Saturday.
- Simmons now leads NAIA Division II in points per game (24.11) and ranks fifth in shooting percentage (.588). She was also named the NAIA Women's Basketball Division II National Player of the Week for her recent performances.
- Southeastern's average margin of victory of 35.4 also leads NAIA DII. The Fire lead the country in scoring defense per game (53.5), field goal percentage defense (.311), and team field goal percentage (.497) as well.
- After averaging 4.25 assists per game over her first eight appearances of the season, senior point guard Eliza West is averaging seven helpers per game over her last eight contests. West now ranks fourth in NAIA DII in total assists (109) and fifth in assists per game (5.889).
- Junior forward M'Caela Sellers is shooting 50% (11-22) from three-point range over her last five contests, an 11.7% spike from her 38.3% season average from behind the arc.
- SEU has won 70-straight games against Sun Conference opponents.
- The last time the Fire lost to a TSC team was February 10, 2016 against Thomas (70-64).
ALL-TIME SERIES:
- The Fire hold the slight edge over the Gyrenes in the all-time series 13-12, however, SEU has won eight-straight versus AMU.
- The last time Southeastern lost to Ave Maria was a 69-60 defeat in The 2015 Sun Conference Tournament.
THE GYRENES:
- The Gyrenes saw their four-game win streak in TSC play snapped this past Saturday on their home court, as they fell to Johnson & Wales 81-77 in overtime.
- Ave Maria has held opponents under 60 total points in 11 of their 18 games this season. However, the Gyrenes have not been successful in limiting their adversaries to sub-60 scoring since December 7 against Webber International.
- AMU features one of the top board crashers in the country in senior forward Sarah Miller, who leads NAIA DII in offensive rebounds per game (6.7) and ranks second in total rebounds per game (13.83). Averaging a team-high 16.67 points per game, Miller has not been held less to 13 points in a contest this season.
- Junior guard Taylor Allen, a 43.6% three-point shooter on the season, is shooting 50% (12-24) from behind the arc over her last five games.
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TALE OF THE TAPE:
SEU
Points per Game: 88.9
Opponents Points per Game:
Field Goal %: .497
3PT %: .347
FT%: .668
Rebounds per Game: 46.7
Turnovers per Game: 17.2
Individual PPG Leader:Â
Taylah Simmons (22.1)
Individual Rebounds per Game Leader:Â
Marlena Schmidt (8.3)
Individual Assists per Game Leader:
Eliza West (5.6)
Individual Steals per Game Leader:
Taylah Simmons (2.9)
Individual Blocks per Game Leader:
Marlena Schmidt (2.2)
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AMU
Points per Game: 68.1
Opponents Points per Game: 57.3
Field Goal %: .408
3PT %: .337
FT%: .649
Rebounds per Game: 42.1
Turnovers per Game: 17.2
Individual PPG Leader: Sarah Miller (16.7)
Individual Rebounds per Game Leader: Sarah Miller (13.8)
Individual Assists per Game Leader: Macarena Corral (3.8)
Individual Steals per Game Leader: Sarah Miller (2.1)
Individual Blocks per Game Leader: Sarah Miller (.61)
Be sure to follow @SEUFireWBB on Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest updates on Fire Hoops!
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