Last Time Out:
The men's team are coming off of an 87-57 to Power 5 Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi at the Pavilion at Ole Miss to close out their part of the new year.
The women are coming off of a 57-41 loss to Power 5 Duke at the Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
On the Men's side, after redshirt senior Hannif Cheatham was shutdown for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, the Eagles are now led offensively by redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir. Casimir is averaging 11.5 points per game. The Iona transfer was held to two points against Ole Miss.
Following Casimir is junior RaySean Scott Jr. Scott Jr is averaging 9.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. The Compton native had 18 points and nine rebounds against Ole Miss.
Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius and junior Christian Carlyle also come into play for the Eagles.
Mercurius is averaging 9.6 points per game while Carlyle is averaging 8.3 points per game. Against Ole Miss, Mercurius came off the bench and hit 13 points with nine of them behind the arc while Carlyle was held to four points.
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 five points and 4.5 rebounds per game in comparison to last season (2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game). Ernst had two points and two rebounds against Ole Miss.
After coming back from injury, Thomas is averaging 2.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while also pulling away with 1.8 blocks per game. Thomas had four points, three rebounds and a block against Ole Miss.
Junior Decardo Day has also been on key as far as assist-wise. Day is averaging 5.9 points and 3.6 assists per game. Against Ole Miss, the double transfer from Southern Utah and Iowa Western Community College had eight points and a season-high seven assists.
Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. had four points against Ole Miss. The UNLV transfer is averaging 7.7 points per game.
Ernst, Thomas and Baxter Jr. make a combined blocks 31 blocks with Baxter Jr leading the way (11).
Meanwhile for the women, junior Nasrin Ulel, redshirt junior Keri Jewett-Giles, and redshirt sophomore Chandler Ryan that lead the Eagles offensively.
Ulel is 15.4 points and three rebounds per game. Ulel had 11 points and three rebounds against Duke.
Jewett-Giles is averaging 12.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. In the tournament, the Fort Myers was held scoreless with a rebounds and four assists against Duke.
Ryan has become the most versatile to shooting 3s as she is averaging 10 points per game. Like Jewett-Giles, Ryan was also held scoreless against Duke, but was able to add three rebounds and two steals.
Redshirt seniors Lisa Zderadicka and Destiny Washington, redshirt junior Davion Wingate and junior Tytionia Adderly have also be key elements on the team.
Zderadicka is averaging 9.1 points and 2.9 assists per game. The Austrian was held to two points against Duke, but added five rebounds and an assist
Although struggling a bit, Washington is averaging 5.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Washington had seven points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Wingate is averaging 7.8 points per game. In the game against Duke, the Atlanta native had five points.
Adderly is averaging 5.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Adderly had eight points and eight rebounds against Duke.
Adderly passed passed Adrianne McNally (658, 2006-10) for third all-time in overall rebounds. Her next milestone is to pass Whitney Knight (735, 2011-12, 2013-16) for second all-time. Adderly needs 74 to pass Knight.
With four of her boards on the offensive and defensive end, Adderly has 275 offensive boards and 387 defensive boards. For the offensive boards, Adderly remains 55 shy of passing Sarah Hansen (329, 2010-14) as the all-time leader while for the defensive boards, she is 18 away from passing Robyn Swain (404, 2002-04) for fourth all-time.
New Upcoming Blood:
The men's team has signed five newcomers for the 2019-20 season: Jalen Warren, Quanzi Samuels Jr., Dakota Rivers, Justus Rainwater, and Osborn Shema.
Jalen Warren:
A native of Milton, Ontario, Canada, Warren will join FGCU as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining after spending his freshman and sophomore year at NJCAA Eastern Florida State. Warren helped lead the the Titans to a third-place finish at the 2018 NJCAA National Tournament while averaging 16.2 points per game during the national tournament as a freshman. Currently in his sophomore campaign, Warren is averaging 10.3 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 46 percent from the field, which also included an big upset win over No. 1 Northwest Florida State College on Dec. 8, finishing with 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in 32 minutes.
"Jalen is the best junior college point guard in the entire country in my opinion, and I say that without any hesitation," said EFSC head coach Jeremy Shulman. "The kid is a flat out winner, he can do it all on the court. Jalen going to FGCU is such a perfect fit. Coach Fly and staff are some of the best in the business and have one of the elite mid-major programs in the country. Jalen turned down high major offers in hopes to become the best point guard in the A-SUN and lead FGCU to multiple NCAA tournament appearances while he is there."
Quanzi Samuels Jr.:
A native of District Heights, Maryland, Samuels will join FGCU as a true freshman from St. Johns High School in Washington D.C. and most recently Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. Samuels Jr. led St. John's to a WCAC Championship. As a junior, he averaged 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and was named All-WCAC Honorable Mention and on the Torrey Pines Holliday Classic All-Tournament Team.
"FGCU is getting a highly-skilled and versatile player. He can score at all levels and is capable of defending multiple positions," said St. John High head coach Rock Battisoni. "More importantly, Qwanzi loves to compete and is dedicated to growing as a player. What is more impressive than his abilities on the court is his character off the court. Coach Fly will have a young man who will be a great representation of the basketball program and the entire FGCU community."
"Qwanzi comes from a close-knit family and is the oldest of his siblings," said AAU coach Zach Suber. "His brother and sisters look up to him in all phases of life. He is a born leader. He suffered an injury during the summer before his senior year and was unable to play basketball that season. However, that did not deter him, but made him a stronger person and made him realize something he really loved could be taken away within a matter of seconds or one play. He was determined to rebound, and he did. He was not 100 percent, but he played summer basketball in 2018 and caught the eye of the FGCU staff. This was a blessing for both parties involved. Qwanzi is a committed and determined student-athlete that will become a favorite throughout the campus, in the classroom, the arena, and in the community. He has the personality, the athletic ability to be very good, to go along with a wonderful smile that will warm up the community."
"Qwanzi is an extremely versatile wing / forward who can really shoot, pass and dribble," said Fly. "He has tremendous skills for a player of his size and age, and he is getting more explosive by the day as he regains strength from an ACL injury last season. We have multiple longstanding personal relationships on our staff with Qwanzi's outstanding family that made this a great fit for both parties. Qwanzi is currently studying at a challenging academic school in Loomis Chaffee. He is also playing against quality competition on the prep school circuit that will successfully prepare him for his freshman campaign here at FGCU."
Dakota Rivers:
A 6-8 forward from Windemere High, Rivers will join FGCU as true freshman after graduation. Listed as the 20th best player in the state of Florida by FloridaHoops.com, Rivers averaged 16.6 points per game a season ago as a junior and led all of Central Florida in rebounding last season at 13.7 per game.
"Dakota Rivers is an outstanding student-athlete who has just begun to tap into his potential," said Windemere High head coach Mark Griseck. "He is an explosive player who will wow people with his leaping ability. As he continues to improve and get stronger in college, I think he has the potential to be an all-league player at FGCU. He is a team-first guy who is an absolute joy to coach."
"Dakota is an awesome teammate and person to go along with having tremendous potential as a player," said AAU coach Anthony Ricks. "He is a great athlete and has excellent touch from the perimeter. His athleticism allows him to block shots and throw down thunderous dunks. I look forward to seeing Dakota progress at FGCU and expect big things from him."
"Dakota was a player that we identified early in the 2019 class as one of our top targets. We recruited him that way since he finished his sophomore season in high school," said Fly. "He currently plays for Mark Griseck at Windermere High School who also coached FGCU legends Sherwood Brown and Marc Norelia, so there is a major comfort level for both Dakota and our program. He is an extremely athletic wing / forward who will emphatically carry on the Dunk City tradition with his play above the rim. His traits as a student and high-character individual embody what our program is all about."
Justus Rainwater:
Rainwater will join FGCU as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining after spending his freshman and sophomore year at NJCAA Cochise College. A 6-9 center from Enumclaw, Washingtom, Rainwater shot 62 percent from the field last season to rank fourth in the ACCAC.
Currently in his sophomore Campaign, Rainwater is averaging 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season and ranks eighth in NJCAA in shooting percentage (72.9).
"Justus really showed his strengths this summer in the Las Vegas event and has worked very hard this fall at Cochise," said Cochise head coach Jerry Carillo. "Justus is an elite athlete with a great motor. When he plays to his strengths, he impacts the game in a positive manner for his teammates. We hope he can have a breakout season and bolster our attack before moving onto FGCU."
"Justus is a very strong, athletic center who has the ability to really run the floor, finish above the rim and block shots," said Fly. "Justus impacts the game on both ends with his boundless energy and enthusiasm on the court. He is also a very good student from a tremendous family who will come to FGCU ready to contribute after two years in junior college playing for legendary coach Jerry Carrillo."
Osborn Shema:
A 7-0 forward, Shema, a native of Kanombe Kicukiro, Rwanda, is currently enrolled at Glove Prep Christian Academy in Jacksonville where he is averaging 25.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game so far this season while being ranked 12th in FloridaHoops.com Top 100 report.
"FGCU gives Osborn everything that he needs to be a successful student-athlete," said Glove Prep coach Frank Glover. "He has excelled in the small environment at Glove Prep with many hours of hard work and training, and we expect him to do the same with Coach Fly and staff, which in my opinion are the best coaching staff in the A-SUN."
"Osborn is a true 7-footer with 3-point range, which allows him to both stretch the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense," said Fly. "He is getting stronger by the day and continuing to improve under the tutelage of Coach Frank Glover as he grows into his frame. We believe he has tremendous upside. He is also a high-quality person and student who has a chance to be one of the most unique and special players to put on the Green and Blue."
The Flames are coming off of a big upset moment as the men defeated UCLA 73-58 to close out their final non-conference game while the Lady Flames are coming off of a 55-51 win over Duquesne and a 61-42 win over NCAA DII West Chester University.
Before conference play, the men sit in second overall while the women sit seventh.
For the Flames, redshirt junior Scottie James leads the team with 12.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. James had eight points and seven rebounds against UCLA.
Freshman Darius McGhee (11 points per game), redshirt junior Caleb Homesley (10.9) and senior Lovell Cabbil Jr. (10/6) also come into play for the Flames scoring wise. McGhee, who was named A-SUN Newcomer of the Week, is also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game while Homesley, who was named A-SUN Player of the Week, is averaging 2.9 assists per game and Cabbil Jr. is averaging 1.8 steals per game.
Against UCLA, McGhee had 11 points and three rebounds, Homesley had 21 points, five rebounds and one assists and Cabbil Jr. had 15 points and five steals.
For the Lady Flames, redshirt sophomore Emily Lytle leads the team offensively as she averages 12.9 points per game. In the game against Duquesne, Lytle had 14 points with 12 of her points behind the arc before being held to seven points against West Chester.
Sophomores Ashtyn Baker and Bridgette Rettstatt also come into play scoring wise. Baker is averaging 8.3 points and 2.6 assists per game while Rettstatt is averaging 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In the game against Duquesne, Baker had six points and four assists while Rettstatt had four points and three rebounds. In the game against West Chester, Baker had six points and one assists while Rettstatt had nine points and three rebounds.
Senior KK Barbour and redshirt sophomore Ria Gulley also play key roles for the Lady Flames. Barbour is averaging 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds while Gulley is averaging seven points and 2.6 assists per game.
In the game against Duquesne, Barbour had 11 points and nine rebounds while Gulley had six points and eight points, while against West Chester, Barbour had a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds and Gulley was held to four points and one assist. Gulley had eight of the Lady Flames' 12 assists against Duquesne. Baker had the other four.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for both games and will air on ESPN+. The games can also be heard on the radio station LFSN Radio (WLNI 105.9 FM).
For the women's game, commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Tom James and color commentator Pete Lonergan while for the men it will be done by James and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB/@FGCU_MBB
Liberty: @LibertyWBB/@LibertyMBB
Promotions:
For the doubleheader, it will be dubbed as a green out, so marketing is encouraging fans to wear green to both games.
In addition, it also military appreciation night for men and women who have served in the six US military branches: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard. The FGCU cheerleaders will be handing out coupons as a thanks for the people who fought to protect and serve for the USA.
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 afterwards.
Livestats Link:
women- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=244117
men- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238816
Livestream Links:
women- http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/b183de53-b297-45d0-a9b3-43ccea735614/liberty-vs-florida-gulf-coast
men- http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/8c4f6bfc-8e2b-4f9c-9c4b-d535066f9975/liberty-vs-florida-gulf-coast
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