THE MATCHUP: The women's basketball team meets its third and final ACC opponent of the 2008-09 season when it travels to Blacksburg, Va. to play the Hokies of Virginia Tech on Monday at 7 p.m. The game is the last non-conference match the Blue Hose will play until they meet Allen on Feb. 9.
FOLLOW THE BLUE HOSE: If you can't make it to the game but happen to be in the Blacksburg area, you can follow the action live on 101.7 FM. For all other fans, a live broadcast is available over the internet at www.hokiesports.com. The game will also be videostreamed through the ACC Select website (www.accselect.com).
IN THE SERIES: This is the first time the Blue Hose and the Hokies have met in the 32-year history of PC's program.
LAST TIME OUT: PC lost its Big South Conference opener against Winthrop, 47-35, on Jan. 3 at Templeton Center. Sophomore point guard Katlin Moore scored a team-high 13 points while grabbing seven boards and tallying three assists and two steals. Junior forward Lea Smith had a team-high eight rebounds, with six coming on offense to give the Blue Hose their highest offensive board total (10) of the season. PC also committed a season-low 16 turnovers.
NEXT UP: The Blue Hose will return to their Big South Conference schedule when they travel to UNC Asheville on Jan. 12 for a 7 p.m. date with the Bulldogs. PC's eight games will be against conference opponents.
BEYOND THE ARC: Presbyterian is ranked second in the Big South Conference in three-point field goal percentage (includes games through Jan. 4). The Blue Hose are draining 32.1 percent of their shots beyond the arc and averaging 4.64 treys per game. Gardner-Webb is the only team in the conference with a higher percentage (34.1) while Charleston Southern is the only squad with a higher average (8.33 per game).
IN THE BIG SOUTH: The Blue Hose are ranked in the top 10 in several categories in the Big South. Here is how PC's players stack up against the competition:
SCORING: 10. Katlin Moore (11.1 points per game)
T-11. Amanda Mills (11.0 points per game)
REBOUNDING: 8. Lea Smith (5.7 rebounds per game)
ASSISTS: 6. Katlin Moore (3.55 assists per game)
FREE THROW %: 1. Amanda Mills (91.7 percent)
8. Lea Smith (70.6 percent)
STEALS: 13. Katlin Moore (1.45 steals per game)
LAYING IT ON THE LINE: Sophomore guard Amanda Mills snapped her 22-basket streak from the free throw line on Saturday against Winthrop when she missed her second of two attempts from the line in the second half. The Oregon City, Ore. native is still first in the league in free throw percentage with 91.7 percent (22-of-24). She holds a 10-percent lead over
Charleston Southern's Pam Tolbert, who ranks second in the Big South.
PRESEASON POLL: PC was picked to finish ninth (out of nine) in the Big South Conference preseason poll. This is the first season the Blue Hose are eligible to win the regular season title and Player of the Week accolades.
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL:
1. Liberty
2. Winthrop
3. High Point
4. Radford
5. UNC Asheville
T-6. Coastal Carolina
T-6. Gardner-Webb
8. Charleston Southern
9. Presbyterian
PC IN THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE: Although this is the first year the Blue Hose are officially part of the Big South Conference, PC has played several Big South members in the past. The team met UNC Asheville and Radford twice last year and played High Point, Charleston Southern, Winthrop and Liberty once. In 2008-09 Fisher's squad will play a full conference schedule, meeting each of the nine teams in the Big South twice. Here's how PC has done against Big South opponents in the past:
Charleston Southern........0-1
Coastal Carolina.............4-10
Gardner-Webb...............23-6
High Point.........................0-1
Liberty..............................0-1
Radford............................0-2
UNC Asheville..................0-3
Winthrop...........................0-9
