Last Time Out:
After losing their first conference at home against Liberty, the Eagles were on the road for the next three games. After falling to North Alabama (61-56) and UNF (87-66), the Eagles entered their final road trip game with a five-game losing streak which included the last two non-conference losses to Florida (77-56) and Ole Miss (87-57) and in the end, the Eagles managed to pull away with a 72-59 win over Kennesaw.
Offensively, redshirt senior Shadarac Casimir leads the Eagles with 12.9 points per game. Casimir had one of his best games this season as he finished with a season-high 34 points and seven rebounds and the second most in his career (11/26/14 vs Delaware State as a member of Iona). As a result of his performance, Casimir was named co-A-SUN Player and Newcomer of the Week with North Alabama's freshman Christian Agnew. This was his first A-SUN POTW and second A-SUN NOTW
Despite being unable to play due to a leg injury, junior RaySean Scott Jr. Scott Jr is averaging 9.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Junior Christian Carlyle is averaging 8.2 points per game despite going scoreless against Kennesaw and almost fouling out.
Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius also comes into play for the Eagles. Mercurius is averaging 8.4 points per game. Mercurius came off the bench and scored seven points against Kennesaw.
Junior Decardo Day has also been on key as far as assist-wise. Day is averaging 6.6 points and 3.5 assists per game. Against Kennesaw, the double transfer from Southern Utah and Iowa Western Community College had four points and five assists.
As far as defensively and rebounding, aside from Scott Jr., redshirt junior Brady Ernst and sophomore Brian Thomas have came in clutch as well.
Now being a starter for most of the season, Ernst is averaging 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Ernst had two points and three rebounds before being pulled out of the game against Kennesaw due to an injury.
After coming back from injury, Thomas is averaging 3.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while also pulling away with 1.6 blocks per game. Thomas, who filled in for Ernst after his injury, had a season-high seven points, eight rebounds and three blocks before fouling out against Kennesaw State, his hometown.
Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. had nine points and three blocks against Kennesaw. The UNLV transfer is averaging 7.1 points and 0.9 blocks per game.
Ernst (12), Thomas (16) and Baxter Jr. (17) have a combined blocks 45 blocks.
Another Eagle Down:
Already losing redshirt senior Hannif Cheatham due to a shoulder injury, the Eagles also lost redshirt senior Ricky Doyle for the rest of the season due to a congenital back issue.
"We're really frustrated for Ricky, but I told him I hope he can find some peace knowing that all he has been dealing with physically for the past few years is out of his control," Fly said. "Ricky is a great student, person and representative of our program. He will always be part of our Eagle family. I look forward to his next step and maintaining a relationship with him for years to come."
Scouting Stetson:
The Hatter will play at North Alabama two days prior to facing FGCU. The Hatters have lost all three ASUN tilts to Liberty, Lipscomb and North Florida. They own victories over Johnson, Western Illinois, UNC Asheville and Edward Waters.
Stetson has two players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore Christiaan Jones' 11.4 ppg. Jones is also second in rebounding at 4.3 rpg. Fellow sophomore Abayomi Iyiola (10.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is the team's leading rebounder and ranks second in scoring.
The Hatters enter their UNA contest with a 0-9 road record this season.
Series History:
The series with the Hatters has also been contested every year since 2008. The Eagles are 19-7 against Stetson, and the 19 victories are the most against a single foe in school history. The Hatters picked up four wins in the first five games of the series, but since then FGCU has dominated to the tune of an 18-3 mark in the last 21 meetings. The Eagles also own a 13-1 mark in the last 14 meetings, and they are on a nine-game win streak inside Alico Arena.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Dave Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB
Stetson: @StetsonMBB
Promotions:
Coaches vs Cancer- The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, coaches have raised over $100 million for the American Cancer Society. The FGCU coaching staff will wear sneakers against Stetson to help raise awareness for the cause.
The game will be a Pinkout and will also serve as the Coaches vs. Cancer contest for FGCU. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to Alico Arena.
ESPN+:
FGCU will air on the subscription-based digital platform ESPN+, the new home for all A-SUN sports. Subscribers can try the new app for free for 30 days, which follows to $4.99 a month fee or $39.99 yearly afterwards.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238817
ESPN+ livestream link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/7756e6ec-1e13-4044-9a35-4424b9b7be00/stetson-vs-florida-gulf-coast
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