FGCU MBB @ Lipscomb Preview

The FGCU men's basketball team will next compete in a contest against A-SUN Conference favorite Lipscomb at 7:30 p.m. (EST) Jan. 24 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Eagles (7-13, 2-3 A-SUN) are coming off back-to-back league triumphs, while the Bisons (14-4, 5-0 A-SUN) have yet to drop a conference game this season. The contest will be a rematch of last season's A-SUN Championship title game, when LU knocked off FGCU in Alico Arena. Lipscomb is the top-rated team in the league with a current NET rating of No. 46.

Last Time Out:
FGCU won its second-straight ASUN Conference contest 87-65 over Stetson Jan. 21 inside Alico Arena. The Green and Blue took part in their Pinkout promotion, and the coaches all wore sneakers to help raise cancer awareness as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer program.

Playing in front of 3,321 fans on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, five Eagles scored in double figures for just the second time this season (FIU). Senior Schadrac Casimir led the way with a 21-point effort on the same day he was honored as the ASUN Player and Newcomer of the Week. Junior Christian Carlyle dropped 13, both sophomore Brian Thomas and true freshman Caleb Catto had a career-high 12 points, while classmate Zach Scott added 11.

FGCU shot 34-for-68 (50 percent) from the field, and the 34 made field goals were a new season high. The home team also shot 35.7 percent (10-for-28) from 3-point land and 75 percent (9-for-12) at the free-throw line.

Scouting Lipscomb:
The Bison enters as one of the top teams in the league. The reigning tournament champs and preseason favorites have won all five of their ASUN games so far this season. They have taken down the likes of North Florida, Jacksonville, Stetson, NJIT, and Kennesaw State. The Bisons also earned key non-conference triumphs over SMU, TCU, Navy and Middle Tennessee State.

LU is outscoring foes 84.7-68.4, and the team is led by preseason player of the year Garrison Mathews. He is tops on the team in scoring (18.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.2 rpg). Rob Marberry (16.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) is second in scoring and third in rebounding, and Eli Pepper (7.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is the top rebounder.

Series History:

The Bison lead the all-time series by a 13-9 margin, which includes upsetting FGCU in the SUN Championship game last season. Lipscomb captured six of the first seven meetings, but the Eagles actually lead the series 8-7 since 2012.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+.

Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB

Lipscomb: @LipscombMBB

ESPN+:
The A-SUN will air on the new, subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, which will be the new home for select FGCU and A-SUN games and event broadcasts. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month or $39.99 per-year fee afterwards based on the viewers subscription choice.

Livestats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=232871&vislive=fguu

Livestream link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/11a7cb56-027a-4679-b01f-156120526ea9/florida-gulf-coast-vs-lipscomb