For the third year in a row, the Georgia Southern University women’s basketball team will play Western Carolina University in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament.

Although the teams split their meetings this season with the Eagles (7-22, 6-14 SoCon) winning the first meeting and the Catamounts (7-22, 5-15 SoCon) taking the second, history takes the side of WCU when it comes to the SoCon tournament.

Two years ago the Catamounts edged by the Eagles and won 48-42. Last year, the Eagles took WCU to overtime before falling 61-56 in front of almost 2,000 fans. This year GSU will look for senior leadership in guard Meredith Frye to deny the Catamounts a third straight victory in tournament play against the Eagles.

Frye did not have the stellar start to her senior campaign that fans would have expected based on her performance last season. But the five-foot-10-inch guard from Fredericksburg, Va. has played consistent basketball down the stretch of this season, averaging 11 points per game and is a defensive anchor on the court. She leads the team in takeaways and is not selfish with the ball once she steals it. She also leads the Eagles in assists.

Another player that GSU will look to for leadership as well as points is junior guard Mimi Dubose. Dubose has led the team all season long in points per game. She is currently averaging 12.6 points per game. In the Eagles’ victory over the Catamounts this year, Dubose put up 20 points and was golden from the free throw line. The five-foot-nine-inch guard from Jefferson, Ga. sunk five of five nearing the end of the game and 11 of 11 overall propelling her team to a 52-50 victory.

WCU does not have any secret weapon or major scoring threat that has been carrying them along all season. In fact, the Catamounts do not have a single player averaging over eight points per game. GSU’s opponent will, however, bring a balanced attack that excels in rebounding. The Catamounts junior forward Shauna Terry has pulled down 167 boards this season, more than anyone on GSU. She stands at six-foot-two-inches and will provide what may be the most exciting matchup of the day going head to head with the Eagles’ junior forward Danielle Spencer who stands at six-foot-three-inches.

Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. on Friday in Asheville, N.C. at the Kimmel Arena.