FGCU MBB @ Stetson Preview

The FGCU men's basketball team will face Stetson at 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in DeLand, Florida, in an A-SUN Conference matchup. The Eagles (11-16, 6-6 A-SUN) have won six of their last nine games but have dropped their last three road tilts. The Hatters (5-21, 1-10 A-SUN) have struggled throughout conference play but picked up their first league win on Feb. 2. A victory for FGCU would lock up a berth in the postseason A-SUN Championship tournament.

Last Time Out:
FGCU collected a thrilling 57-55 home win over NJIT Wednesday night in Alico Arena. The Eagles held the Highlanders scoreless across the final three minutes and were able to find the last four points of the contest to up their home winning streak to five games.

Senior Schadrac Casimir paced the Eagles in scoring with 15 points, while classmate Dinero Mercurius added 13 of his own. Mercurius earned his first starting assignment since Dec. 2 and responded by posting double figures for the fifth time in his last six outings. He also hauled in six rebounds, which was the most since Nov. 28 and his second-highest total of the year.

FGCU shot 40.9 percent (18-for-44) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-for-20) from deep range and 53.8 percent (14-for-26) at the free-throw line. NJIT ended the night at 37.0 percent (20-for-54) overall, 23.1 percent (6-for-26) from behind the 3-point arc and 64.3 percent (9-for-14) at the line.

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 6-6 in league action and is in solo fourth. The Eagles are a half-game behind NJIT (6-5) and a half-game ahead of North Alabama (5-6).

If the season were to end today, FGCU would earn the No. 4 seed and would host No. 5 UNA in the quarterfinals of the tournament on March 4. Lipscomb would be the No. 1 seed and would play host to No. 8 Kennesaw State. No. 2 Liberty would welcome No. 7 North Florida, and No. 3 NJIT would host No. 6 Jacksonville. Stetson is currently on the outside looking in for a playoff berth.

The Eagles have won the conference tournament three times in the last six years, and they also hosted the championship game last season.

Scouting Stetson:
The Hatters own a 5-21 mark overall with a 1-10 league play ledger. Despite the overall struggles, the Hatters have posted positive results lately. They are 1-2 in their last three games, which includes a 17-point home win over Kennesaw State and a narrow three-point road loss at league leader Liberty.

Stetson has two players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore Abayomi Iyiola's 10.5 ppg and 7.1 rpg. Sophomore Christiaan Jones (10.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is second on the team in both categories.

All five victories for the Hatters have come at home this season.

Series History:

The series with the Hatters has been contested every year since 2008. The Eagles are 20-7 against Stetson, and the 20 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 a 19-3 mark in the last 22 meetings. The Eagles also own a 14-1 record in the last 15 meetings, and they are 4-1 in the last five games in DeLand.

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

Stetson:

Livestats Link: https://gohatters.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/c3cbe6bc-738f-4d1b-9a56-a95a2459ea86/florida-gulf-coast-vs-stetson