Two Top 20 Opponents Lie Ahead for Women's Basketball

LAKELAND, Fla.- Southeastern women's basketball team (3-3, 2-1 SUN) will spend the weekend in Crestview Hills, Ky. as they compete in the Thomas More Thanksgiving Classic. On Friday, the Fire will compete against the top team in the NAIA, Thomas More, at 5 p.m. and will conclude the trip with a Saturday contest against No. 18 Georgetown College at 1 p.m.
 
After dropping three contests in a row earlier this season, the Fire have won their last two contests against SUN opponents Ave Maria and Coastal Georgia to move to 2-1 in conference play. Averaging 79 points per game, most of the Fire's success has come from three-point range as their 9.2 three-pointers made per game ranks12 nationally and their 29.5 three-point attempts per game ranks eighth in the NAIA. The Fire also rank tenth nationally in free-throw percentage at 78.4%. Raegan Linster currently averages a double-double with 17 points per game and 10 rebounds per game while Gabby Suarez's 112 points leads the Fire. Emilia Sexton leads the team in assists with 26 and steals with 17.
 
The No. 1 Saints of Thomas More hold a 5-0 record, four of which came over Top 25 ranked programs including a 62-54 victory over No. 4 Carroll College. The Saints hold a positive scoring margin of 13.8 points over their competitors with 72.8 points per game. From midrange, the Saints have posted a .455 field goal percentage and hold a three-point percentage of 39%. Courtney Hurst has gone 13-30 from beyond the arc for a .433 three-point percentage and team-high 63 points while Kelly Brenner's .667 effort from the field leads the Saints.
 
The Fire and the Saints have met one time with the Saints taking the 85-47 victory in the 2020 season.
 
No. 18 Georgetown holds a 3-2 record with losses coming against No. 24 Indiana Institute of Technology and No. 1 Thomas More. The Tigers average 77.8 points per game with a field goal percentage of 41.6%. Erin Toller and Madison Darnell each sit at 47 points with Toller netting seven three-pointers and Darnell posting a field goal percentage of 55.2%. Izzy Lamparty leads the defense with 32 rebounds.