NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference has named Ike Smith its men's basketball Player of the Week, the league announced today.

Smith hit the game-winning free throws with 3.9 seconds left in the Eagles' 85-83 season-opening win at Wake Forest last Friday. The junior scored his 1,000th career point with his first bucket of the night and finished with 18 points and two rebounds. Smith capped the week by tallying 21 points and seven rebounds in the Eagles' 77-53 win over CSU Bakersfield last night.

Georgia Southern opens the Gulf Coast Showcase at home against Bluefield State Thursday at 7 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse. The tournament continues with three contests in Germain Arena in Estero, Fla., next week, starting with a matchup against Missouri State Monday at 1:30 p.m.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides current information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, which is fully responsive across all mobile devices. Information on Eagle athletics can also be found through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics and Instagram.com/GSAthletics. To purchase tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, visit GSEagles.com/tickets.

In order to expedite entry and provide a safe environment for all patrons and participants, Georgia Southern Athletics has implemented a Clear Bag Policy for all ticketed sporting events, effective Aug. 1, 2017. Fans can find the complete policy as well as an FAQ section at GSEagles.com/ClearBag.