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Red-hot Eagles welcome Fort Valley State
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    Holders of a six-game winning streak, the Eagles try to equal the program’s best start since 1991 when they take on the Wildcats of Fort Valley State.
    The team’s six-game winning streak before December is Georgia Southern’s longest since 1984. The last time GSU won seven straight before the New Year was 1950.
    Included in the winning streak are Southern Conference wins against Furman and Appalachian State, putting them at the top of the league standings.
    “I think we’re playing good enough to win but I think there are a lot of things we can get better at,” said head coach Jeff Price. “That’s probably a positive with our team - we’re winning games but there’s a lot of space for improvement.”
    The team has not taken the floor since defeating App State Dec. 1, giving them eight days in between games.
    “We need to take advantage of the days we have right now when we’re not so busy playing games to get better at things we’re not doing so well in practice,” said Price. “That’s how you continue to win. We just have to keep getting better every day.”
    With the Eagles increasing their scoring output from 68 against Stetson to a season-high 85 against App State, so has senior Louis Graham, who has gone from a low of nine points to a high of 21 points over that time. Over his last two games alone, Graham is averaging 17.5 points and nine rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor.
    “We’re doing a better job of getting him the ball. He’s doing a better job of hunting the ball and demanding the ball, and we’re doing a better job of getting it to him. The last couple of games he shot the ball a lot better.”
    Graham leads the team in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg) and blocks (21). His rebounding average is second in the league and he paces the conference in blocks.
    Fort Valley State, a member of the Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, enters Monday’s tilt with a 1-2 record. After winning their season opener over Carver, the Wildcats have since dropped two straight, both against league competition.
    FVSU averages 83.7 points per contest, but are allowing 82 per game. Martrez Scott leads a group of three players in double-figure scoring at 14.7 ppg. Lakeves Prather is second at 14 ppg and Desmond Williams pours in 12.3 ppg while grabbing nine rebounds per outing.
    “They’re very athletic and obviously have a pretty explosive basketball team,” said Price.
    Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.