The FGCU men's basketball team dropped a tight 61-56 contest at North Alabama Tuesday night in Flowers Hall. The Eagles (5-12, 0-2 A-SUN) slipped for the fourth game in a row, while the Lions (4-13, 1-1 A-SUN) earned their first conference win as new members of the A-SUN.
"I thought (North Alabama) played harder than us. They got to every loose ball, and they played with more intensity," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "We told the guys before the game that no game is easy, especially on the road. Nothing comes easy when you've built a program like we've built it. These players are still trying to learn that we are always going to have a target on our backs."
Junior Decardo Day led all scorers with a career-high 20 points. He went 5 of 10 from the field and converted a career-high eight free throws. Senior Schadrac Casimir went 7-for-8 from the line to add 13 points and a season-high six rebounds.
FGCU shot 35 percent (14-for-40) from the field, 31.3 percent (5-for-16) from behind the 3-point arc and 67.6 percent (23-for-34) at the free-throw line. UNA shot 43.1 percent (22-for-51) overall, 32 percent (8-for-25) from deep range and 75 percent (9-for-12) at the charity stripe.
Tavon King paced the home side with 15 points, Kendarius Smith added 13 before fouling out and Cantavio Dutreil registered a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.
The opening half was tight throughout. The Eagles scored the first six points, but UNA responded with a 6-0 run of its own. Neither team led by more than six at any moment in the first 20 minutes, and it was the visitors that battled into a 25-22 halftime advantage.
The low-scoring first half made way to a second half that saw 23 more combined points. FGCU initially found a 29-24 lead, but a 10-2 run from the Lions tilted momentum into their favor at 34-31 six minutes into the stanza. They extended their lead to 41-34 midway through the second half and kept that favorable advantage for the next six minutes at 51-44.
The next two minutes belonged to the Eagles. The visiting squad roared back with a 10-2 run of its own to regain the long-lost lead at 54-53 with 1:58 to play. The lead would only last for moments, however, as a 3-point bucket and a pair of free throws put UNA back on top 58-54 with 1:27 left. FGCU missed a pair of crucial shots down the stretch and was unable to get that one final stop as UNA held on for the home triumph.
The Eagles outrebounded North Alabama (32-31) and finished with more steals (7-6).
UP NEXT
The Eagles continue their three-game road swing with a trip to North Florida. FGCU will meet the Ospreys at 5 p.m. Jan. 12 in Jacksonville, Florida.
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