Georgia Southern (0-2) vs. Jacksonville State (0-2)
Date: Nov. 16, 2013 - 5:30 p.m.
Site: Hanner Fieldhouse (4,358 capacity) - Statesboro, Ga.
Audio: None
Video: Live on GS All-Access
Web sites: GSEagles.com,
JSUGamecockSports.com
Coaches: Chris Vozab (8-25, 2nd yr), Rick Pietri (220-169, 14th yr)
Promotions
Fans can receive $2 admission to Saturday's triple header of volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball by bringing two canned food items to the game. The food will be donated to the Statesboro Food Bank to help feed the needy. The first 500 students in attendance at the triple header will receiving a free t-shirt, and all Junior Eagle Club members get in free and can enjoy the JEC Zone which features inflatables from Crazy Nick's. Also, $1 Nachos and $1 Bottled drinks will be available for the first 500 fans at the tripleheader.
Layup Line
¦ Georgia Southern plays its home opener against Jacksonville State Saturday.
¦ The game is the middle contest of a tripleheader with the GSU volleyball and men's basketball teams.
¦ GSU is 28-9 all-time in home openers but has lost the last two.
¦ The Eagles are coming off a 103-38 loss at No. 7/8 Kentucky Wednesday.
¦ Georgia Southern returns nine letterwinners and four starters, including three of its top-4 scorers, from last season's 8-23 team.
¦ The Eagles were picked eighth in the Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and seventh in the league's media poll.
¦
MiMi DuBose and
Anna Claire Knight averaged double figures in the scoring column a season ago. DuBose averaged 12.4 points a game, while Knight averaged 11.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.
¦ DuBose (142) is third in all-time 3-pointers at Georgia Southern, 25 away from first, held by Svetlana Trjeskal (1995-99). The senior is 121 points away from 1,000 for her career.
¦ Jacksonville State is coming off a 66-49 loss at Auburn Wednesday.
¦ Candace Morton leads the Gamecocks in scoring and rebounding. The junior put up 21 points against Ole Miss and Auburn and is averaging 8.5 boards a contest. She is the first Gamecock in over six years to record consecutive 20-point games.
¦ Jacksonville State was picked sixth in the East in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Gamecocks return eight letterwinners and two starters from last year.
Series History
¦ This will be the eighth meeting between the Eagles and Gamecocks, and Georgia Southern has won the last two. The Eagles trail the all-time series 4-3.
¦ The Eagles are 2-1 against the Gamecocks in Hanner Fieldhouse.
¦ Georgia Southern won the last meeting 72-49 at the Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic in Hattiesburg, Miss., in 2011.
Preseason Honors
¦ Georgia Southern was picked to finish eighth in the Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and seventh in the Media Poll.
¦
MiMi DuBose was selected preseason all-league by the coaches. The media does not vote for a preseason all-conference team.
¦ DuBose and
Anna Claire Knight were picked Preseason All-SoCon by College Sports Madness.
Happy 40th
¦ This is the 40th anniversary of women's basketball at Georgia Southern.
¦ The Eagles began competition in the 1973-74 season.
Georgia Southern Inks Six
¦ Georgia Southern women's basketball coach
Chris Vozab announced that Jakayvea Akins (Springfield, Ga./Effingham), Sierra Butler (Norcross, Ga./Norcross), Alexis Foulks (Columbia, S.C./Columbia), Trellanie English-Lurry (Davie, Fla./Nova), Abby Hix (Independence, Mo./Truman) and Jessica Mlaska (Woodstock, Ga./River Ridge) have all signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Georgia Southern and play for the Eagles, beginning in the 2014-15 season.
¦ Jakayvea Akins, G, 5-6 – Averaged 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, three assists and 2.4 steals a game as a junior at Effingham County… Helped her team to the 2013 Class AAAAA state final four.
¦ Sierra Butler, F/C, 6-2 – The Lady Blue won the Class AAAAAA state championship in 2013 and were ranked 14th in the country… Sister, Patrice, is a sophomore on the Georgia Southern women's basketball team.
¦ Alexis Foulks, G, 6-1 – Averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game as a junior at Columbia High School… Named a top player to watch in South Carolina in the class of 2014 by SouthernHoops.net…Ranked fourth in her class academically.
¦ Trellanie English-Lurry, G, 5-7 – Averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 steals a game as a junior at Nova High School…Helped her team to a second-place finish in the state tournament.
¦ Abby Hix, G, 5-8 – Averaged 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals a game as a junior at Truman High School… Knocked down 48 3-pointers and shot 36 percent from beyond the arc… Helped Truman to a 25-1 record and the top ranking in the state for eight weeks.
¦ Jessica Mlaska, F/C, 6-2 – Averaged 3.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a game as a junior at River Ridge High School and helped her team advance to the Class AAAA elite 8 in 2013… Also named all-state in volleyball.
Next Up
¦ Georgia Southern plays host to Cal State Northridge in the first women's basketball meeting between the two schools Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse.
