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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Game #18 Georgia Southern

Western Carolina travels to Hanner Fieldhouse on Jan. 11 to play Georgia Southern for the final time as a Southern Conference member.  Tipoff is at 2 p.m. ET.

In a series that dates back to 1949, the two teams have met a total of 33 times overall, with the Cats owning a 14-19 record against the Eagles. The Cats are 3-3 against the Eagles over the last four years, with the two teams splitting wins last season, each winning on the road.

First year head coach Mark Byington's Eagles were picked to finish ninth in the 2013-14 SoCon Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll and 10th by the league's media.  The Eagles finished their out of conference play with a 7-8 overall record and were 4-1 at home through out OOC play.  Four of the early home wins were over non-DI opponents, but GSU did pick up DI wins over Presbyterian, SC State and Kennesaw State.  This game will be the Eagles second conference game, after knocking off Samford in a close two point win on Saturday in Statesboro.

Thus far, the Eagles are averaging 75.3 points per game, hitting 42.2% of their field goals, including 35.1% of three-pointers (8.1 per game) and hitting 69% as a team on free throw attempts.  The Eagles are averaging 12.1 turnovers per game and 7.7 steals.  GSU currently has two players scoring in double figures. Red-shirt junior guard Jelani Hewitt (6-2, 185) is the leading scorer at 20.7 points per game and senior guard Tra Bussey (6-3, 170) is right behind with 18.4 ppg.  Junior forward Angel Matias (6-4, 225) is the Eagles leading rebounder with 6.9 rebounds per game.

In the Samford game on Saturday, GSU shot 48.9% from the floor and were 8 for 18 from behind the three point line. Hewitt made 15 of his 23 points from behind the arc hitting a season-high five three pointers.

RealTime RPI projects a 2 point GSU win in Statesboro, 77-79

Chart courtesy Daily Catamount 

Rankings-
RPI:   
GSU- 317
WCU- 278

Sagarin:   
GSU-  264
WCU -  205

Pomroy:   
GSU-  262
WCU-  200

Massey:   
GSU-  294
WCU-  197


Chart courtesy Daily Catamount


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