GAME NOTES

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern opens the 2013-14 season on Friday night, November 8th, against Columbia International inside Hanner Fieldhouse. Before the game there will be a special pregame concert by the Southern Pride Marching Band starting at 5:30 p.m. Special early admission will be available from 5:15-5:45 p.m. for just $1.

TV: None
RADIO: Georgia Southern/Nelligan Sports Radio Network
Savannah/Hilton Head - 102.1-FM WZAT
Metter/Swainsboro - 103.7-FM WBMZ
Jesup - 1370-AM WLOP
Worldwide - GS All-Access
WEBCAST: GS All-Access (GSEagles.com) *Subscription Required*
LIVE STATS: GSEagles.com
TWITTER UPDATES: @GSAthletics_MBB 

SERIES HISTORY: First Meeting

The Game
Georgia Southern opens the Mark Byington Era on Friday night against Columbia International inside Hanner Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. 

Pregame Festivities
Prior to the contest, Georgia Southern's very own Southern Pride Marching Band will perform on the Hanner Fieldhouse court in a special concert which starts at 5:30 p.m. Fans coming to the concert can take advantage of special $1 early admission tickets which will be available from 5:15 through 5:45 p.m.

The Broadcast
Chris Blair and Frank Kerns will be courtside to bring fans all the action across both the Georgia Southern Radio Network by Nelligan Sports and GS All-Access video stream. Fans can purchase their subscription to GS All-Access by going to GSEagles.com/showcase.

The Coach
Mark Byington begins his tenure at Georgia Southern tonight and looks to improve on his 7-4 career record as a head coach. The former top-assistant at College of Charleston, Byington was picked to succeed legendary coach Bobby Cremins for the final 11 games of the 2011-12 season after Cremins took a leave of absence. Byington went 7-4 in those games. That tenure featured a pair of three-game win streaks and a victory over Kent State in the ESPN Bracketbusters matchup with the Golden Flashes.

The Weather
It is expected to be a crisp fall day with a high of 66 on tap. Fans should bring their jackets with evening temperatures expected to fall to the low 40's.

Up Next
Following Friday's game the Eagles will have a quick turnaround for Monday's trip to face the defending ACC Champion Miami Hurricanes. Tipoff at the BankUnited Center is set for 7 p.m.

Storylines
·         Georgia Southern opens its 21st and final season as a member of the Southern Conference tonight by hosting Columbia International ... The Eagles will join the Sun Belt Conference for the 2014-15 season.
·         The 2013-14 campaign is Georgia Southern's first under new Head Coach Mark Byington ... He was announced as Georgia Southern's new Head Coach on April 1st (no joke) ... Byington came to GSU after a year at Virginia Tech ... Byington owns a 7-4 career record as a head coach, serving 11 games at College of Charleston after Bobby Cremins took a leave of absence late in the 2011-12 season.
·         Jelani Hewitt returns to the Eagle lineup this season ... He averaged 10.5 points per game as a sophomore and redshirted last year ... He is a .361 career three-point shooter and is the Eagles' top returning scorer this season ... Last Friday in the exhibition win over Thomas Univ., Jelani scored 11 points and 12 rebounds for his first (unofficial) double-double.
·         The Eagles feature a cadre of seven players that are available this evening making their first appearance for the Eagles ... Scholarship players Thomas, Diamond Doyle and Matias are flanked by three walk-ons.
·         The trio of Jelani Hewitt, Tre Bussey and Marvin Baynham have been selected by the team as captains for the 2013-14 campaign.
·         Southern's trip to Miami next week will be a homecoming for a trio of Eagles from Florida ... Jelani Hewitt and Marvin Baynham hail from the Miami Metro Area while Brian Holmes hails from just a few miles up the road in Sanford, Fla.
·         This season Georgia Southern plays in the 2013 Cancun Challenge at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Resort just outside of Cancun ... There is still time for fans who haven't purchased their travel packages to see the Eagles play internationally for the first time.
·         Watch every home Georgia Southern basketball game on GS All-Access from GSEagles.com ... The premium video service features interviews as well as live games ... It is also the only way to listen to Georgia Southern Radio Network broadcasts on mobile devices or computers.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.