FGCU MBB vs North Alabama Preview

The FGCU men's basketball team remains at home for a 7 p.m. clash against North Alabama Feb. 6 inside Alico Arena. The midweek Wednesday bout is billed as Multicultural Night and is being sponsored by Diamond District.

The Eagles (9-15, 4-5 A-SUN) have won their last three games at home and sit just one game shy of fourth-place UNA (8-16, 5-4 A-SUN) in the A-SUN Conference standings. This contest will be a rematch from Jan. 8, when the Lions knocked off FGCU 61-56 in Florence, Alabama.

Last Time Out:
FGCU earned its third-straight home win by defeating Jacksonville 73-60 Saturday night inside Alico Arena. The Eagles were celebrating their Homecoming Week and capped off the festivities with a big A-SUN Conference triumph in front of 4,009 fans.

A trio of Eagles scored in double figures, led by true freshman Zach Scott's 18. Seniors Schadrac Casimir (17) and Dinero Mercurius (11) also notched double digits to lead the Green and Blue to victory.

FGCU shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 60.9 percent (14-for-23) at the free-throw line. JU countered with shooting percentages of 35.9 (23-for-64) overall, 29.0 (9-for-31) from deep and 38.5 (5-for-13) from the line.

Scouting North Alabama:
The Lions are currently in its first season as A-SUN members. The Lions went through a rough stretch to start the season, winning just three of their first 16 games. But since a home win against FGCU on Jan. 8, UNA has won five of its last eight outings.

The Lions have three players scoring in double figures, led by freshman Jamari Blackmon's 15.3 ppg. Senior Kendarius Smith is averaging 12.4 points per game, while freshman Christian Agnew is sitting at 10.8 ppg. Freshman Emanuel Littles (4.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is the top rebounder on the squad.

UNA is 7-1 at home this season and 1-15 on the road.

Series History:
UNA leads the all-time series 3-0. The Eagles and Lions played a home-and-home pair of contests in 2005, with North Alabama claiming both. UNA defeated FGCU at home on Jan. 31, 2005 (90-83) and then won next season's contest on Dec. 19, 2005 (82-78) in Alico Arena. The only other matchup came earlier this season, when the Lions defeated the Eagles 61-56 in Florence, Alabama.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be led by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.

Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB

UNA: @UNA_MBB

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 a fee of $4.99 a month or $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.

Promos:
The midweek Wednesday bout is billed as Multicultural Night and is being sponsored by Diamond District.

White Out: Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.

Link to Livestats:http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238820

ESPN+ Link:http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/0f30ecc1-6380-4189-a15e-cb29981db66d/north-alabama-vs-florida-gulf-coast

Play4Kay Foundation Link: https://pledgeit.org/fgcu-women-s-basketball-play4kay-free-throw-challenge