The FGCU men's basketball team (13-17, 8-7 A-SUN) is set to close out the regular season with a 7 p.m. contest March 1 against Jacksonville (12-18, 5-10 A-SUN). The Friday tilt will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and will be held inside Historic Swisher Gymnasium.
The Eagles are fighting for a top-4 spot in the upcoming A-SUN Championship tournament, which would ensure a home game in the first round of the event on March 4. The Dolphins are locked into the No. 7 seed.
FGCU owns the longest home win streak in the conference (seven), but conversely the Green and Blue have dropped each of its last four road tilts.
Last Time Out:
FGCU remained hot at home in a 78-56 victory over Kennesaw State Saturday night in Alico Arena. The Eagles continued to own the longest home win streak in the A-SUN Conference, and they stretched that mark to seven in a row. They were also celebrating Senior Night, and the four seniors and three graduating senior managers were all honored prior to tip.
True freshman Zach Scott had a game-high 16 points, senior Dinero Mercurius scored 14, and junior Christian Carlyle and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. both chipped in 12. In total, 10 different Eagles got their name in the scoring book.
FGCU shot 47.6 percent (30-for-63) from the field, 34.3 percent (12-for-35) from behind the 3-point line and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) at the free-throw line. Kennesaw State shot 29.2 percent (19-for-65) overall, 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from distance and 68.4 percent (13-for-19) at the charity stripe.
Where they Stand:
The 2019 A-SUN Conference Men's Basketball Championship will be conducted March 4-10. The top eight teams qualify for postseason play, and each round will be hosted by the higher seed. FGCU is currently 8-7 in league action and tied for fourth with NJIT. The Eagles are a half-game behind North Florida (9-7).
If the season were to end today, FGCU would earn the No. 5 seed and would travel to No. 4 NJIT in the quarterfinals of the tournament on March 4. Lipscomb would be the No. 1 seed and would play host to No. 8 Stetson. No. 2 Liberty would welcome No. 7 Jacksonville, and No. 3 UNF would host No. 6 North Alabama. Kennesaw State is currently on the outside looking in for a playoff berth.
If the Eagles defeat Jacksonville, they will have an 87.5 percent chance of finishing inside the top 4 and landing a home game in the first round of the conference tournament. If the Eagles fall at Jacksonville, they will have a 50 percent chance of finishing inside the top 4 and hosting a game. If FGCU does not host a first-round game, the team will be the No. 5 seed and will travel to NJIT.
If the Eagles finish in the top 4, tickets go on sale at 10:30 p.m. Friday night. The ticket office will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. both Saturday and Monday, and fans can go online at FGCUtickets.com anytime.
FGCU has won the conference tournament three times in the last six years, and the team also hosted the championship game last season.
Scouting Jacksonville:
The Dolphins enter the last day of the regular season with a 12-18 ledger and a 5-10 mark in the A-SUN. The Dolphins rattled off six wins in a seven-game stretch earlier this season, but since that mark they have dropped 13 of their last 18. They own league triumphs over Kennesaw State (twice), North Florida and Stetson (twice).
Sophomore JD Notae leads JU in both scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg). Senior Jace Hogan (12.5 ppg) and freshman Tyreese Davis (10.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) also average double digits. Junior David Bell (7.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg) is second in rebounding.
Series History:
This will be the 25th all-time meeting between FGCU and JU. The Eagles hold a narrow 13-11 advantage, which includes victories in the last five meetings. FGCU is also 13-4 against the Dolphins since 2011 and won earlier this season in Fort Myers (73-60). Jacksonville claimed the first seven matchups from 2008-10.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+
Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB
JU: @JacksonvilleMBB
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.
ESPN+: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3e91f4ea-fcd6-45da-965f-d119961c24e3/florida-gulf-coast-vs-jacksonville
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