"Keiser was really competitive tonight. They came here expecting to win the game," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I didn't think we competed for most of the night. We were fortunate that Zach (Scott), Caleb (Catto) and some of our guys stepped up for us, but I was disappointed in our effort overall."
As noted, the game was listed as a exhibition/season game meaning it will be listed as a exhibition game for Keiser and a season game for the Eagles that will not count towards their RPI ranking.
Taking the reins on offense was freshman Zach Scott. Scott finished with a career-high 25 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer that help the Eagles. Scott shot 9-of-12 overall and 6-of-8 at the 3-point line.
Scott Jr. was two points shy of a double-double as his finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Fellow freshman Caleb Cotto also played a big role as he scored a season-high 12 points (5-10 FG, 2-6 3PT).
Redshirt junior Brady Ernst finished with eight points (4-4 FG), two rebounds and two blocks.
Senior Andrija Matic tallied a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Marko Orlic scored a team-leading 24 points, while fellow junior Bryce Thurston added 18 off the bench.
The Eagles ran a perfectly-executed set play to start the game that ended with a vicious dunk Ernst, but that would be the last time they would hold a lead until the second half. KU scored the next six points and eventually stretched their lead out to 46-34 late in the opening frame. A layup from junior Christian Carlyle and a 3-pointer from Catto helped cut the deficit down to 46-39 heading into the break.
FGCU exploded out of the locker room, scoring the first 10 points to go ahead 49-46. However, the visitors continued to connect on outside shots and regained a 63-57 lead at the midway point of the second half.
The Seahawks found their largest lead of the period at 78-70 with 4:49 remaining, but that would not be enough of a cushion to hold the Eagles at bay. The furious comeback featured layups from Catto and junior Decardo Day, and two 3-point baskets from Scott brought FGCU level at 83-83 with 1:28 to play.
Both sides sank a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions, and Scott Jr. drew a charge with 8.7 seconds left to give the home side one last opportunity to swipe the victory.
On the final possession, Casimir was fouled driving the lane and calmly swished both free throws. Keiser was unable to get a shot off at the buzzer, as the Eagles secured their third win in a row. Scott Jr. was the real hero of the game for taking the charge to help set up those two free throws for Casimir.
FGCU led the evening in points in the paint (32-26) and points off the bench (27-25), while the Seahawks led in points off turnovers (17-16), second-chance points (7-0) and fast-break points (12-0).
Up Next:
The Eagles head to neutral ground as they face long-time rival Florida (6-4) in the Metro by T-Mobile Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on Saturday, December 22nd at 5 P.M. inside the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
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