The FGCU men's basketball team (14-18) fell 83-78 to NJIT (21-11) in the opening round of the 2019 A-SUN Conference Championship Monday night in Alico Arena. The setback was the first in school history for the No. 4-seeded Eagles in the quarterfinals of the tournament, while the Highlanders picked up their first A-SUN tourney win in their school history.
FGCU will now await the call for a potential berth in a postseason event, while No. 5 NJIT advances to the semifinals to face No. 2 Liberty.
"I'm proud of the team for not folding when we were 2-8 (to start the year), for not folding when we were 0-3 (to start conference play) and not folding tonight. That would have been easy to do at any point," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I've been doing this awhile, and I have never faced this much adversity in one season from an injury standpoint to guys having to play out of position. These guys bought in, continued to fight and never rolled over. I couldn't be more proud of our group."
Senior Dinero Mercurius erupted for a game- and career-high 27 points. He went 10 of 15 overall and was 5 of 10 from downtown. Sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. contributed 15 points, and true freshman Caleb Catto ended with 11 off the bench for his first time in double figures since Feb. 6.
The Eagles shot 49.2 percent (29-for-59) from the field, 45.2 percent (14-for-31) from behind the 3-point line and 60 percent (6-for-10) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 54.5 percent (24-for-44) overall, 58.8 percent (10-for-17) from distance and 78.1 percent (25-for-32) at the charity stripe.
Diandre Wilson paced the visitors with 26 points, while Zach Cooks added 25 and Abdul Lewis contributed 18.
NJIT came blistering out of the gates and led 23-7 10 minutes into the contest. The visitors powered ahead by as many as 20 (33-13) with six minutes left in the opening half, but the Eagles finally settled into the game and began to chip away at the lead. They went on a tear in the final four minutes, knocking down shot after shot until the halftime score saw the visitors on top by just five at 38-33. The 20-5 run to close the half was capped by a 3-point buzzer beater from senior Schadrac Casimir.
FGCU cut the deficit to 38-36 early in the second half, but the home side went cold for a stretch that allowed NJIT to extend its advantage back out to 63-43 with eight minutes to play. The magic at the end of the first half came storming back for the Eagles, however, as they were able to use a hefty 33-16 run to pull within 79-76 with 25 seconds to play. The visitors made their free throws down the stretch and were able to hold the Green and Blue at arms length, never allowing FGCU a possession in the final minute where they were within three or less.
The Eagles led the night in assists (19-14), blocks (5-2), points in the paint (30-16), fast-break points (19-10), and bench production (24-4). Both teams finished with 28 rebounds.
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Showing posts with label FGCU Men's Basketball 2018-19. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FGCU Men's Basketball 2018-19. Show all posts
FGCU MBB vs NJIT: A-SUN Quarterfinals Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team will play host to NJIT in the quarterfinals of the 2019 A-SUN Men's Basketball Championship at 7 p.m. March 4 in Alico Arena. Monday's opening-round of the postseason will be broadcast live on ESPN+, is being billed as a Whiteout and will be sponsored by Coconut Point Ford.
The Eagles (14-17, 9-7 A-SUN) won four of their last five games and finished 9-4 in their last 13 to vault into a third-place tie in the final A-SUN standings. They are the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The fifth-seeded Highlanders (20-11, 8-8 A-SUN) went 2-6 across their final eight games to fall from third to fifth at the end of the regular season.
FGCU enters postseason play as owners of the longest home win streak in the conference (seven), and the team just recently snapped a four-game road losing streak. NJIT is 1-4 in its last five games away from home.
Last Time Out:
FGCU wrapped up the regular season with a gritty 77-74 victory at Jacksonville Friday night in Historic Swisher Gymnasium. The win for FGCU snapped a four-game losing skid on the road and gave the Eagles the season sweep over the Dolphins.
Senior Dinero Mercurius led FGCU with 12 points, while classmate Schadrac Casimir added 11 and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. contributed 10. All nine players that stepped on the floor scored at least five, and seven different Eagles scored at least eight.
FGCU finished 14-for-23 (60.7 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. The 14 made 3-pointers was the highest total in an A-SUN game this year and second-most all season. The Eagles shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) overall and 63.6 percent (7-for-11) at the free-throw line. The Dolphins shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the field, 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from behind the arc and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) at the charity stripe.
FGCU outrebounded JU 38-27 and also led in assists (19-11), second-chance points (13-6) and points off the bench (31-19).
Tournament Breakdown:
The 2019 A-SUN Conference Men's Basketball Championship will be conducted March 4-10. The top eight teams qualified for postseason play, and each round will be hosted by the higher seed. FGCU is the No. 4 seed and will be playing host to No. 5 NJIT. No. 1 Lipscomb will host No. 8 Kennesaw State, No. 2 Liberty is playing host to No. 7 Jacksonville, and No. 3 North Florida hosts No. 6 North Alabama.
Reseeding will take place after the quarterfinals, with the top two remaining seeds hosting semifinal games March 7. The title game will be held at 3 p.m. March 10 at the site of the top remaining seed. FGCU has won the conference tournament three times in the last six years, and the team also hosted the championship game last season.
FGCU in the A-SUN Tournament:
The FGCU men's basketball team owns a 16-4 record all-time in the ASUN Championship tournament. The Eagles have never lost in the quarterfinals (7-0) and have reached the title game in six of the last seven years. FGCU competed as the No. 4 seed just one other time, winning the tournament in 2016.
2012 - 2-1 - Runner-up (6 seed)
2013 - 3-0 - Champions (2 seed)
2014 - 2-1 - Runner-up (1 seed)
2015 - 1-1 - Semifinals (2 seed)
2016 - 3-0 - Champions (4 seed)
2017 - 3-0 - Champions (1 seed)
2018 - 2-1 - Runner-up (1 seed)
2019 - TBD (4 seed)
Scouting NJIT:
The Highlanders are one of just three A-SUN programs to reach the 20-win plateau this season. The Highlanders earned marquee non-conference triumphs over the likes of Colgate, Army and Wagner, while collecting league wins over every team except Lipscomb and Liberty.
Abdul Lewis (13.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg) leads the league in rebounding, while Zach Cooks (17.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is the third-best scorer in the A-SUN this year. Cooks is also second for NJIT in rebounding. Diandre Wilson (11.3 ppg) completes a trio of Highlanders who score in double figures.
NJIT is 10-7 on the road this season.
Series History:
Monday's game will be the first meeting between the two programs in postseason play. FGCU leads the all-time series 6-2, which includes taking down the Highlanders 57-55 in Fort Myers on Feb. 13. The two sides split the regular season matchups, as NJIT topped the Eagles 66-54 Jan. 30 in New Jersey. Every meeting has come since 2016.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be provided 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
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=258237
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/4d93b96d-3937-4154-9d73-103071d0fb84/asun-mens-basketball-tournament
The Eagles (14-17, 9-7 A-SUN) won four of their last five games and finished 9-4 in their last 13 to vault into a third-place tie in the final A-SUN standings. They are the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The fifth-seeded Highlanders (20-11, 8-8 A-SUN) went 2-6 across their final eight games to fall from third to fifth at the end of the regular season.
FGCU enters postseason play as owners of the longest home win streak in the conference (seven), and the team just recently snapped a four-game road losing streak. NJIT is 1-4 in its last five games away from home.
Last Time Out:
FGCU wrapped up the regular season with a gritty 77-74 victory at Jacksonville Friday night in Historic Swisher Gymnasium. The win for FGCU snapped a four-game losing skid on the road and gave the Eagles the season sweep over the Dolphins.
Senior Dinero Mercurius led FGCU with 12 points, while classmate Schadrac Casimir added 11 and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. contributed 10. All nine players that stepped on the floor scored at least five, and seven different Eagles scored at least eight.
FGCU finished 14-for-23 (60.7 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. The 14 made 3-pointers was the highest total in an A-SUN game this year and second-most all season. The Eagles shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) overall and 63.6 percent (7-for-11) at the free-throw line. The Dolphins shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the field, 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from behind the arc and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) at the charity stripe.
FGCU outrebounded JU 38-27 and also led in assists (19-11), second-chance points (13-6) and points off the bench (31-19).
Tournament Breakdown:
The 2019 A-SUN Conference Men's Basketball Championship will be conducted March 4-10. The top eight teams qualified for postseason play, and each round will be hosted by the higher seed. FGCU is the No. 4 seed and will be playing host to No. 5 NJIT. No. 1 Lipscomb will host No. 8 Kennesaw State, No. 2 Liberty is playing host to No. 7 Jacksonville, and No. 3 North Florida hosts No. 6 North Alabama.
Reseeding will take place after the quarterfinals, with the top two remaining seeds hosting semifinal games March 7. The title game will be held at 3 p.m. March 10 at the site of the top remaining seed. FGCU has won the conference tournament three times in the last six years, and the team also hosted the championship game last season.
FGCU in the A-SUN Tournament:
The FGCU men's basketball team owns a 16-4 record all-time in the ASUN Championship tournament. The Eagles have never lost in the quarterfinals (7-0) and have reached the title game in six of the last seven years. FGCU competed as the No. 4 seed just one other time, winning the tournament in 2016.
2012 - 2-1 - Runner-up (6 seed)
2013 - 3-0 - Champions (2 seed)
2014 - 2-1 - Runner-up (1 seed)
2015 - 1-1 - Semifinals (2 seed)
2016 - 3-0 - Champions (4 seed)
2017 - 3-0 - Champions (1 seed)
2018 - 2-1 - Runner-up (1 seed)
2019 - TBD (4 seed)
Scouting NJIT:
The Highlanders are one of just three A-SUN programs to reach the 20-win plateau this season. The Highlanders earned marquee non-conference triumphs over the likes of Colgate, Army and Wagner, while collecting league wins over every team except Lipscomb and Liberty.
Abdul Lewis (13.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg) leads the league in rebounding, while Zach Cooks (17.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is the third-best scorer in the A-SUN this year. Cooks is also second for NJIT in rebounding. Diandre Wilson (11.3 ppg) completes a trio of Highlanders who score in double figures.
NJIT is 10-7 on the road this season.
Series History:
Monday's game will be the first meeting between the two programs in postseason play. FGCU leads the all-time series 6-2, which includes taking down the Highlanders 57-55 in Fort Myers on Feb. 13. The two sides split the regular season matchups, as NJIT topped the Eagles 66-54 Jan. 30 in New Jersey. Every meeting has come since 2016.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be provided 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
NJIT: @NJITMBB
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/4d93b96d-3937-4154-9d73-103071d0fb84/asun-mens-basketball-tournament
FGCU MBB @ JU Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (14-17, 9-7 A-SUN) wrapped up the regular season with a gritty 77-74 victory at Jacksonville (12-19, 5-11 A-SUN) Friday night in Historic Swisher Gymnasium.
With the triumph, the Eagles finished in a tie for third with North Florida in the final A-SUN Conference standings. The Green and Blue will be the No. 4 seed in the upcoming A-SUN Men's Basketball Championship and will host No. 5 seed NJIT at 7 p.m. March 4 in Alico Arena. The two teams split their regular-season matchups, with FGCU claiming a 57-55 win over the Highlanders (20-11, 8-8 A-SUN) at home on Feb. 13.
The win for FGCU snapped a four-game losing skid on the road and gave the Eagles the season sweep over the Dolphins.
"I'm really proud of our guys for digging that out. (Swisher Gymnasium) has historically been a really hard place for us to play. We've taken some tough ones here. Credit to Jacksonville because they're playing really hard," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "Our guys stepped up and made some big plays down the stretch. (Jacksonville) went on that run and we staggered for a minute, but we got up off the mat and threw one more haymaker at them."
Senior Dinero Mercurius led FGCU with 12 points, while classmate Schadrac Casimir added 11 and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. contributed 10. All nine players that stepped on the floor scored at least five, and seven different Eagles scored at least eight.
JD Notae led JU with a game-high 29 points. David Bell and Jalyn Hinton both finished with 11.
FGCU finished 14-for-23 (60.7 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. The 14 made 3-pointers was the highest total in an A-SUN game this year and second-most all season. The Eagles shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) overall and 63.6 percent (7-for-11) at the free-throw line. The Dolphins shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the field, 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from behind the arc and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) at the charity stripe.
Neither team found an advantage through the opening seven minutes. FGCU clung to an 11-10 lead and went on a quick 7-0 run to move on top by eight. JU kept it within six at 33-27 with five minutes remaining in the first half, but the Green and Blue powered on a 14-6 run to create 14 points of distance. Jacksonville made a basket at the buzzer to cut the deficit down to 49-38 at the break. The 49 points were the second-most against an A-SUN opponent in the opening half this season.
FGCU kept the momentum into the second half and went on top 57-40 at the 17:27 mark. From that point on, Jacksonville went on a huge 27-10 tear across the next nine minutes to find a way to tie the Eagles at 67-67. The game was tight the rest of the way. Junior RaySean Scott Jr. hit a contested 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock with 4:38 to play to give FGCU a three-point lead, but Notae scored the next five points to put JU on top 72-70. Scott Jr. converted a layup on the next possession, and Casimir rained another triple with the shot clock winding down to put the Eagles ahead 75-72 with 55.2 remaining.
Notae missed two final 3-point attempts and Mercurius calmly sank a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to give the Eagles the victory.
FGCU outrebounded JU 38-27 and also led in assists (19-11), second-chance points (13-6) and points off the bench (31-19).
"Being able to host a game in the tournament is huge for our fans and it's great for our players. Obviously we play well at home," Fly said. "My hope is Alico Arena is what it's been in March historically, which is the hardest place to play in the state of Florida and one of the hardest places to play in the entire country. I'm hoping the fans will come out and support us like they have all season. We'll be prepared and we'll be ready. Obviously we split with NJIT this year, so we know it's going to be a tough matchup. We like playing in Fort Myers, and we're excited to get home and prepare for the Highlanders."
With the triumph, the Eagles finished in a tie for third with North Florida in the final A-SUN Conference standings. The Green and Blue will be the No. 4 seed in the upcoming A-SUN Men's Basketball Championship and will host No. 5 seed NJIT at 7 p.m. March 4 in Alico Arena. The two teams split their regular-season matchups, with FGCU claiming a 57-55 win over the Highlanders (20-11, 8-8 A-SUN) at home on Feb. 13.
The win for FGCU snapped a four-game losing skid on the road and gave the Eagles the season sweep over the Dolphins.
"I'm really proud of our guys for digging that out. (Swisher Gymnasium) has historically been a really hard place for us to play. We've taken some tough ones here. Credit to Jacksonville because they're playing really hard," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "Our guys stepped up and made some big plays down the stretch. (Jacksonville) went on that run and we staggered for a minute, but we got up off the mat and threw one more haymaker at them."
Senior Dinero Mercurius led FGCU with 12 points, while classmate Schadrac Casimir added 11 and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. contributed 10. All nine players that stepped on the floor scored at least five, and seven different Eagles scored at least eight.
JD Notae led JU with a game-high 29 points. David Bell and Jalyn Hinton both finished with 11.
FGCU finished 14-for-23 (60.7 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. The 14 made 3-pointers was the highest total in an A-SUN game this year and second-most all season. The Eagles shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) overall and 63.6 percent (7-for-11) at the free-throw line. The Dolphins shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the field, 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from behind the arc and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) at the charity stripe.
Neither team found an advantage through the opening seven minutes. FGCU clung to an 11-10 lead and went on a quick 7-0 run to move on top by eight. JU kept it within six at 33-27 with five minutes remaining in the first half, but the Green and Blue powered on a 14-6 run to create 14 points of distance. Jacksonville made a basket at the buzzer to cut the deficit down to 49-38 at the break. The 49 points were the second-most against an A-SUN opponent in the opening half this season.
FGCU kept the momentum into the second half and went on top 57-40 at the 17:27 mark. From that point on, Jacksonville went on a huge 27-10 tear across the next nine minutes to find a way to tie the Eagles at 67-67. The game was tight the rest of the way. Junior RaySean Scott Jr. hit a contested 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock with 4:38 to play to give FGCU a three-point lead, but Notae scored the next five points to put JU on top 72-70. Scott Jr. converted a layup on the next possession, and Casimir rained another triple with the shot clock winding down to put the Eagles ahead 75-72 with 55.2 remaining.
Notae missed two final 3-point attempts and Mercurius calmly sank a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to give the Eagles the victory.
FGCU outrebounded JU 38-27 and also led in assists (19-11), second-chance points (13-6) and points off the bench (31-19).
"Being able to host a game in the tournament is huge for our fans and it's great for our players. Obviously we play well at home," Fly said. "My hope is Alico Arena is what it's been in March historically, which is the hardest place to play in the state of Florida and one of the hardest places to play in the entire country. I'm hoping the fans will come out and support us like they have all season. We'll be prepared and we'll be ready. Obviously we split with NJIT this year, so we know it's going to be a tough matchup. We like playing in Fort Myers, and we're excited to get home and prepare for the Highlanders."
FGCU MBB @ Jacksonville Preview
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
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
FGCU MBB vs Kennesaw State Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (13-17, 8-7 A-SUN) remained hot at home in a 78-56 victory over Kennesaw State (5-24, 2-12 A-SUN) 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.
One senior recognized was Dolan Mahoney. The four-year Eagle was rewarded with the first start of his career, and he celebrated in style by knocking down a 3-point basket for the first points of the game for the Green and Blue.
"I'm so proud of our guys, and I'm happy for Dinero (Mercurius), Schadrac (Casimir) and Dolan (Mahoney) especially," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I told these guys that if they stay locked in and focused that this will not be the last game they play in (Alico Arena). We're happy about the win obviously and happy we got a win on Senior Night. But we want to make sure we stay locked in and prepare for Jacksonville."
Once Mahoney made his electric exit, the rest of the Eagles went to work. Six different members of the home side chipped in for the first 14 points, and the Green and Blue quickly found a 22-9 advantage. KSU knocked down a jumper at the 8:16 mark to pull within eight at 22-14, but FGCU erupted on a 20-1 run across the next seven minutes to seemingly put the game out of reach.
The Eagles led 42-20 at halftime and stretched their advantage to as many as 32 points in the second half. KSU was never able to get closer than the final 22-point margin the rest of the way.
Also honored on Senior Night were Dinero Mercurius, Schadrac Casimir and Ricky Doyle. Doyle ended his career due to injury earlier this season, but Mercurius (14 points) scored in double figures for the seventh-straight game. Casimir ended his own streak of scoring in double figures at six, but he stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six assists, five steals and two rebounds.
True freshman Zach Scott had a game-high 16 points, 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.
The Eagles led the night in rebounding (42-41), assists (22-9), blocks (7-5), steals (11-10), points in the paint (34-22, fast-break points (10-6), and bench production (37-13).
Bryson Lockley finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Owls. Danny Lewis added 13 points, and Tyler Hooker chipped in 11.
Up Next:
FGCU hits the road for the final game of the regular season in a 7 p.m. tilt March 1 against Jacksonville. The rare Friday bout will be contested inside Historic Swisher Gymnasium in Jacksonville, Florida.
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.
One senior recognized was Dolan Mahoney. The four-year Eagle was rewarded with the first start of his career, and he celebrated in style by knocking down a 3-point basket for the first points of the game for the Green and Blue.
"I'm so proud of our guys, and I'm happy for Dinero (Mercurius), Schadrac (Casimir) and Dolan (Mahoney) especially," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I told these guys that if they stay locked in and focused that this will not be the last game they play in (Alico Arena). We're happy about the win obviously and happy we got a win on Senior Night. But we want to make sure we stay locked in and prepare for Jacksonville."
Once Mahoney made his electric exit, the rest of the Eagles went to work. Six different members of the home side chipped in for the first 14 points, and the Green and Blue quickly found a 22-9 advantage. KSU knocked down a jumper at the 8:16 mark to pull within eight at 22-14, but FGCU erupted on a 20-1 run across the next seven minutes to seemingly put the game out of reach.
The Eagles led 42-20 at halftime and stretched their advantage to as many as 32 points in the second half. KSU was never able to get closer than the final 22-point margin the rest of the way.
Also honored on Senior Night were Dinero Mercurius, Schadrac Casimir and Ricky Doyle. Doyle ended his career due to injury earlier this season, but Mercurius (14 points) scored in double figures for the seventh-straight game. Casimir ended his own streak of scoring in double figures at six, but he stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six assists, five steals and two rebounds.
True freshman Zach Scott had a game-high 16 points, 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.
The Eagles led the night in rebounding (42-41), assists (22-9), blocks (7-5), steals (11-10), points in the paint (34-22, fast-break points (10-6), and bench production (37-13).
Bryson Lockley finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Owls. Danny Lewis added 13 points, and Tyler Hooker chipped in 11.
Up Next:
FGCU hits the road for the final game of the regular season in a 7 p.m. tilt March 1 against Jacksonville. The rare Friday bout will be contested inside Historic Swisher Gymnasium in Jacksonville, Florida.
FGCU MBB vs Lipscomb Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (12-17, 7-7 A-SUN) upset A-SUN Conference leader Lipscomb (21-6, 12-2 A-SUN) 67-61 Wednesday night in Alico Arena.
The Eagles increased their A-SUN-leading home win streak to six games. The victory could not have come at a better time, as the Green and Blue continue to battle for a top-4 spot in the conference standings. With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, NJIT (19-9, 7-6) maintained its third-place position, while the Eagles are still tied for fourth with North Florida (13-16, 7-7). North Alabama (9-19, 6-7) is in solo sixth, and Jacksonville (11-16, 5-8) sits in solo seventh.
The top four teams at the end of the regular season will earn home games in the opening round of the 2019 A-SUN Championship on March 4.
"I'm really proud of our entire roster tonight. We were able to find a way to play harder than those guys toward the end. They're as good a team as we've played all year," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "We normally do goals for the game. I told them after the game to throw the goals out because tonight they played as hard as they could possibly play on almost every possession, and that's why we won the game."
“They (FGCU) definitely defended us well. Their plan was good and they gave us some problems early,” Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander said. “I didn’t think we believed in what we were supposed to do offensively when teams guard us the way they did.
“I thought we panicked a little big and got too stagnant, but we also had some good looks that just didn’t go down.”
The Eagles received big-time efforts from multiple players, including a game-high 16-point contribution from redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius. The senior went 7-for-7 at the free-throw line and added five rebounds. Classmate Schadrac Casimir scored 15 points, while junior Christian Carlyle contributed 13 points of his own. True freshman Zach Scott tallied eight points and a season-high eight rebounds, while sophomore Brian Thomas finished with seven rebounds and a career-high six blocks.
“They guarded us completely different than they did the first time, as they went almost entirely man tonight,” Alexander said. “They switched a lot of screens and let us play 1-on-1 in the post.
“We’ve got really good post players and tonight just wasn’t their night. They have carried us all year long, but we didn’t do enough to help them. We are going to keep throwing it to them.”
The visitors came out early and showed why they are ranked No. 36 in the nation by taking an early 11-5 advantage. The Eagles answered right back and showed the power of Alico by countering with a 6-0 run of their own to tie the game. Neither team went on top by more than four points the rest of the first half, and it was the Bison who were able to grind into a 26-23 lead with less than four minutes left. An and-1 from Carlyle and four points from true freshman Caleb Catto helped FGCU close the half on a 7-2 run to take a 30-28 lead. The result marked the second time all year during league play that Lipscomb both had failed to reach 30 points in the first half and trailed at the break.
The Eagles built a 35-30 advantage across the first two minutes of the second half, but the Bisons scored the next 10 points to move ahead by five. Lipscomb was able to stretch its advantage out to 49-42 with 9:30 remaining on the clock, but the Green and Blue scored the next seven points to pull level at the 6:33 mark.
The next two possessions saw the Bisons continue to find leads, but the home team also continued to counter with buckets of their own. A 5-0 run gave the Eagles a slim 56-53 advantage with four minutes remaining, but a pair of free throws from Lipscomb brought the visitors to within one at the 3:41 mark. That began the most important sequence of the game. FGCU chewed nearly two entire minutes off the clock thanks to three huge offensive rebounds, two that were hauled in by junior Brady Ernst. The possession ended with two Mercurius free throws, and a Carlyle jumper in the paint with 58 seconds left put the Green and Blue on top by five. The Eagles went 11-for-12 on their free-throw attempts down the stretch to make sure they would hold on for the upset victory.
FGCU finished the game with 10 blocks, which was the first time reaching double figures in that category since Dec. 28, 2015 (at South Dakota). The Eagles also led the night in points in the paint (28-26) and bench production (23-18).
The home team shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the field, 21.7 percent (5-for-23) from beyond the 3-point arc and 85.7 percent (18-for-21) at the free-throw line. Lipscomb was held to just 29.4 percent (20-for-68) overall, 31.8 percent (7-for-22) from distance and 77.8 percent (14-for-18) at the charity stripe.
The Bisons were held to their worst overall shooting day since Nov. 18, 2017 (at Texas). This also marked their worst shooting production against a conference opponent since Feb. 15, 2015 (at USC Upstate).
A-SUN leading scorer Garrison Mathews needed 17 shots just to finish with 16 points. This was the second time all season – and the first since Dec. 4 at Belmont – that he scored fewer points than shots taken. Kenny Cooper added 13 points, and Andrew Fleming contributed 10.
Up Next:
FGCU will play one more game inside Alico Arena this regular season on Saturday. The Eagles welcome Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 for a Whiteout and Senior Night. FGCU topped KSU 72-59 in Georgia on Jan. 19.
The Eagles increased their A-SUN-leading home win streak to six games. The victory could not have come at a better time, as the Green and Blue continue to battle for a top-4 spot in the conference standings. With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, NJIT (19-9, 7-6) maintained its third-place position, while the Eagles are still tied for fourth with North Florida (13-16, 7-7). North Alabama (9-19, 6-7) is in solo sixth, and Jacksonville (11-16, 5-8) sits in solo seventh.
The top four teams at the end of the regular season will earn home games in the opening round of the 2019 A-SUN Championship on March 4.
"I'm really proud of our entire roster tonight. We were able to find a way to play harder than those guys toward the end. They're as good a team as we've played all year," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "We normally do goals for the game. I told them after the game to throw the goals out because tonight they played as hard as they could possibly play on almost every possession, and that's why we won the game."
“They (FGCU) definitely defended us well. Their plan was good and they gave us some problems early,” Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander said. “I didn’t think we believed in what we were supposed to do offensively when teams guard us the way they did.
“I thought we panicked a little big and got too stagnant, but we also had some good looks that just didn’t go down.”
The Eagles received big-time efforts from multiple players, including a game-high 16-point contribution from redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius. The senior went 7-for-7 at the free-throw line and added five rebounds. Classmate Schadrac Casimir scored 15 points, while junior Christian Carlyle contributed 13 points of his own. True freshman Zach Scott tallied eight points and a season-high eight rebounds, while sophomore Brian Thomas finished with seven rebounds and a career-high six blocks.
“They guarded us completely different than they did the first time, as they went almost entirely man tonight,” Alexander said. “They switched a lot of screens and let us play 1-on-1 in the post.
“We’ve got really good post players and tonight just wasn’t their night. They have carried us all year long, but we didn’t do enough to help them. We are going to keep throwing it to them.”
The visitors came out early and showed why they are ranked No. 36 in the nation by taking an early 11-5 advantage. The Eagles answered right back and showed the power of Alico by countering with a 6-0 run of their own to tie the game. Neither team went on top by more than four points the rest of the first half, and it was the Bison who were able to grind into a 26-23 lead with less than four minutes left. An and-1 from Carlyle and four points from true freshman Caleb Catto helped FGCU close the half on a 7-2 run to take a 30-28 lead. The result marked the second time all year during league play that Lipscomb both had failed to reach 30 points in the first half and trailed at the break.
The Eagles built a 35-30 advantage across the first two minutes of the second half, but the Bisons scored the next 10 points to move ahead by five. Lipscomb was able to stretch its advantage out to 49-42 with 9:30 remaining on the clock, but the Green and Blue scored the next seven points to pull level at the 6:33 mark.
The next two possessions saw the Bisons continue to find leads, but the home team also continued to counter with buckets of their own. A 5-0 run gave the Eagles a slim 56-53 advantage with four minutes remaining, but a pair of free throws from Lipscomb brought the visitors to within one at the 3:41 mark. That began the most important sequence of the game. FGCU chewed nearly two entire minutes off the clock thanks to three huge offensive rebounds, two that were hauled in by junior Brady Ernst. The possession ended with two Mercurius free throws, and a Carlyle jumper in the paint with 58 seconds left put the Green and Blue on top by five. The Eagles went 11-for-12 on their free-throw attempts down the stretch to make sure they would hold on for the upset victory.
FGCU finished the game with 10 blocks, which was the first time reaching double figures in that category since Dec. 28, 2015 (at South Dakota). The Eagles also led the night in points in the paint (28-26) and bench production (23-18).
The home team shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the field, 21.7 percent (5-for-23) from beyond the 3-point arc and 85.7 percent (18-for-21) at the free-throw line. Lipscomb was held to just 29.4 percent (20-for-68) overall, 31.8 percent (7-for-22) from distance and 77.8 percent (14-for-18) at the charity stripe.
The Bisons were held to their worst overall shooting day since Nov. 18, 2017 (at Texas). This also marked their worst shooting production against a conference opponent since Feb. 15, 2015 (at USC Upstate).
A-SUN leading scorer Garrison Mathews needed 17 shots just to finish with 16 points. This was the second time all season – and the first since Dec. 4 at Belmont – that he scored fewer points than shots taken. Kenny Cooper added 13 points, and Andrew Fleming contributed 10.
Up Next:
FGCU will play one more game inside Alico Arena this regular season on Saturday. The Eagles welcome Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 for a Whiteout and Senior Night. FGCU topped KSU 72-59 in Georgia on Jan. 19.
FGCU MBB @ Stetson Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (11-17, 6-7 A-SUN) fell at Stetson (6-21, 2-10 A-SUN) 67-55 Saturday afternoon at J. Ollie Edmunds Center.
Despite the setback, the Eagles officially qualified for the A-SUN Championship tournament and maintained their position in fourth place in the current standings. The Green and Blue remain a half-game back of third-place NJIT (18-9, 6-6 A-SUN) and are tied with North Florida (12-16, 6-7 A-SUN) in the fourth position. Jacksonville (12-15, 5-7 A-SUN) and North Alabama (8-19, 5-7 A-SUN) are both right behind in a tie for sixth.
"You have to give credit to Stetson and Coach (Corey) Williams. They played harder than us tonight and competed for 40 minutes," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I didn't think we competed at the level we are capable of outside of a few stretches in the game. Today is a hard lesson, but we will learn from it and prepare for Lipscomb."
Senior Dinero Mercurius led FGCU with 13 points. Classmate Schadrac Casimir and junior Christian Carlyle both contributed 12 points. Carlyle reached double figures for the first time since the previous meeting against Stetson on Jan. 21.
The Eagles shot 38.8 percent (19-for-48) overall, 33.3 percent (8-for-24) from beyond the 3-point arc and 75 percent (9-for-12) at the free-throw line. Stetson converted at a 42.4 percent clip (25-for-59) overall, 28 percent (7-for-25) from deep and 76.9 percent (10-for-13) at the line.
Marques Sumners came off the bench to lead all scorers with 15 points. Christiaan Jones added 13 points, and Abayomi Iyiola finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Hatters took a 3-2 lead in the opening moments of the contest and led the rest of the game. They were initially able to open up an 18-10 advantage at the midway point of the first half, and they kept that margin up until securing a 25-18 lead. They went on to outscore FGCU 12-2 in the final four minutes to head into the locker room with a 37-20 advantage.
The home team later extended that cushion to 43-22 three minutes in the second period, but FGCU found another gear and ripped off a 20-2 run to pull within 45-42 at the 9:23 mark. The closest the Eagles would come would be a 49-47 deficit with six minutes remaining before running out of steam. Stetson used a 16-3 run of its own to go back on top by 15 before settling for the 12-point victory.
Up Next:
FGCU continues to push for a top-4 spot in the conference tournament when the Green and Blue welcomes league leader Lipscomb (21-5, 12-1 A-SUN) at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 in Alico Arena. The Wednesday clash will be a Blueout and will feature a Bison squad that leads the conference with an NCAA NET rating of No. 37 in the nation. The contest will be a rematch of last year's A-SUN Championship final, which was won by the Bisons in Fort Myers last year. Lipscomb also narrowly escaped FGCU 89-81 at home on Jan. 24.
Despite the setback, the Eagles officially qualified for the A-SUN Championship tournament and maintained their position in fourth place in the current standings. The Green and Blue remain a half-game back of third-place NJIT (18-9, 6-6 A-SUN) and are tied with North Florida (12-16, 6-7 A-SUN) in the fourth position. Jacksonville (12-15, 5-7 A-SUN) and North Alabama (8-19, 5-7 A-SUN) are both right behind in a tie for sixth.
"You have to give credit to Stetson and Coach (Corey) Williams. They played harder than us tonight and competed for 40 minutes," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I didn't think we competed at the level we are capable of outside of a few stretches in the game. Today is a hard lesson, but we will learn from it and prepare for Lipscomb."
Senior Dinero Mercurius led FGCU with 13 points. Classmate Schadrac Casimir and junior Christian Carlyle both contributed 12 points. Carlyle reached double figures for the first time since the previous meeting against Stetson on Jan. 21.
The Eagles shot 38.8 percent (19-for-48) overall, 33.3 percent (8-for-24) from beyond the 3-point arc and 75 percent (9-for-12) at the free-throw line. Stetson converted at a 42.4 percent clip (25-for-59) overall, 28 percent (7-for-25) from deep and 76.9 percent (10-for-13) at the line.
Marques Sumners came off the bench to lead all scorers with 15 points. Christiaan Jones added 13 points, and Abayomi Iyiola finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Hatters took a 3-2 lead in the opening moments of the contest and led the rest of the game. They were initially able to open up an 18-10 advantage at the midway point of the first half, and they kept that margin up until securing a 25-18 lead. They went on to outscore FGCU 12-2 in the final four minutes to head into the locker room with a 37-20 advantage.
The home team later extended that cushion to 43-22 three minutes in the second period, but FGCU found another gear and ripped off a 20-2 run to pull within 45-42 at the 9:23 mark. The closest the Eagles would come would be a 49-47 deficit with six minutes remaining before running out of steam. Stetson used a 16-3 run of its own to go back on top by 15 before settling for the 12-point victory.
Up Next:
FGCU continues to push for a top-4 spot in the conference tournament when the Green and Blue welcomes league leader Lipscomb (21-5, 12-1 A-SUN) at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 in Alico Arena. The Wednesday clash will be a Blueout and will feature a Bison squad that leads the conference with an NCAA NET rating of No. 37 in the nation. The contest will be a rematch of last year's A-SUN Championship final, which was won by the Bisons in Fort Myers last year. Lipscomb also narrowly escaped FGCU 89-81 at home on Jan. 24.
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.
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
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
FGCU MBB vs NJIT Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (11-16, 6-6 A-SUN) collected a thrilling 57-55 home win over NJIT (18-8, 6-5 A-SUN) 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. The team moved one-half game ahead of idle North Alabama for solo fourth place in the current ASUN Conference standings. The Green and Blue also sit just a half-game behind NJIT for third.
"I'm really proud of our entire program tonight. NJIT is as good a team as there is in this league right now. When they're playing well, they're as good as Lipscomb, Liberty or anybody else we've played this season," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "Credit our players for continuing to fight after they came at us at the end. These are the games that we weren't finishing three and four weeks ago. We had seniors stepping up tonight. Christian Carlyle goes and gets that big rebound (on the final possession of the game). I'm proud to see our older guys really doing what they're capable of on the floor."
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.
The Eagles earned a modicum of revenge after the Highlanders nipped FGCU 66-54 on Jan. 30 in Newark, New Jersey. Abdul Lewis led the visitors with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Shyquan Gibbs contributed 13 points.
Zach Cooks and San Antonio Brinson gave the Eagles fits when the two sides met earlier this year. Cooks poured in 17, while Brinson finished with 13 points. In Wednesday's contest, however, Cooks had just nine and Brinson was held to a paltry two. This marked just the third time all season Cooks failed to score in double figures.
FGCU raced out to an early 11-3 lead thanks to buckets from Casimir, Mercurius and true freshman Zach Scott. That lead quickly evaporated, however, as a 12-2 run gave the visitors a 15-13 advantage. The Eagles regained their footing and powered ahead 26-18 with 6:50 to play in the opening half, and they were able to carry that eight-point cushion all the way into the locker room at 33-25.
The home team fought to maintain that lead and even snuck ahead 44-36 five minutes into the second half, but the powerful Highlanders began to knock down shots and used a 7-0 run to get within one. Cooks made a jumper at the 7:33 mark to put NJIT on top 49-48, and neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way.
The Highlanders connected on a 3-point bucket with 2:53 to play to move on top 55-53, and that would prove to be their final points of the evening. They missed all four of their shots down the stretch, which included the front end of a 1-and-1 situation at the free-throw line. The winning points all came from Mercurius. He tied the game and drew a foul with a layup at the 2:31 mark, and his and-1 free throw put FGCU on top for good. He later added an exclamation point with a free throw with 17 seconds remaining, and the final three rebounds were all corralled by the home team.
FGCU led the night in rebounding (33-29), blocks (6-2), and bench points (12-8).
Up Next:
FGCU heads to Deland, Florida, for a Saturday clash with Stetson. The Eagles and Hatters will meet at 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in J. Ollie Edmunds Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. FGCU triumphed over Stetson (5-21, 1-10 A-SUN) 87-65 when the two sides clashed in Fort Myers on Jan. 21.
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. The team moved one-half game ahead of idle North Alabama for solo fourth place in the current ASUN Conference standings. The Green and Blue also sit just a half-game behind NJIT for third.
"I'm really proud of our entire program tonight. NJIT is as good a team as there is in this league right now. When they're playing well, they're as good as Lipscomb, Liberty or anybody else we've played this season," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "Credit our players for continuing to fight after they came at us at the end. These are the games that we weren't finishing three and four weeks ago. We had seniors stepping up tonight. Christian Carlyle goes and gets that big rebound (on the final possession of the game). I'm proud to see our older guys really doing what they're capable of on the floor."
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.
The Eagles earned a modicum of revenge after the Highlanders nipped FGCU 66-54 on Jan. 30 in Newark, New Jersey. Abdul Lewis led the visitors with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Shyquan Gibbs contributed 13 points.
Zach Cooks and San Antonio Brinson gave the Eagles fits when the two sides met earlier this year. Cooks poured in 17, while Brinson finished with 13 points. In Wednesday's contest, however, Cooks had just nine and Brinson was held to a paltry two. This marked just the third time all season Cooks failed to score in double figures.
FGCU raced out to an early 11-3 lead thanks to buckets from Casimir, Mercurius and true freshman Zach Scott. That lead quickly evaporated, however, as a 12-2 run gave the visitors a 15-13 advantage. The Eagles regained their footing and powered ahead 26-18 with 6:50 to play in the opening half, and they were able to carry that eight-point cushion all the way into the locker room at 33-25.
The home team fought to maintain that lead and even snuck ahead 44-36 five minutes into the second half, but the powerful Highlanders began to knock down shots and used a 7-0 run to get within one. Cooks made a jumper at the 7:33 mark to put NJIT on top 49-48, and neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way.
The Highlanders connected on a 3-point bucket with 2:53 to play to move on top 55-53, and that would prove to be their final points of the evening. They missed all four of their shots down the stretch, which included the front end of a 1-and-1 situation at the free-throw line. The winning points all came from Mercurius. He tied the game and drew a foul with a layup at the 2:31 mark, and his and-1 free throw put FGCU on top for good. He later added an exclamation point with a free throw with 17 seconds remaining, and the final three rebounds were all corralled by the home team.
FGCU led the night in rebounding (33-29), blocks (6-2), and bench points (12-8).
Up Next:
FGCU heads to Deland, Florida, for a Saturday clash with Stetson. The Eagles and Hatters will meet at 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in J. Ollie Edmunds Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. FGCU triumphed over Stetson (5-21, 1-10 A-SUN) 87-65 when the two sides clashed in Fort Myers on Jan. 21.
FGCU MBB vs NJIT Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team (10-16, 5-6 A-SUN) are hoping to bounce back at home as they welcome NJIT (18-7, 6-4 A-SUN) to the Alico Arena Wednesday night, February 13 at 7 pm. The Eagles are hoping to avenge the loss to the Highlanders from January 30 in Newark.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of a 74-67 loss to Liberty and are tied for 4th in the A-SUN with North Alabama.
Leading the way for the Eagles remains with redshirt senior Shadarac Casimir. Casimir is averaging 14.7 points per game with 65 3-pointers made (2.5 per game). Casimir had 33 points in the loss against Liberty. In fact, the Iona transfer is averaging 19.2 points in conference.
Scouting the Higlanders:
NJIT sports a mighty 18-7 record this season. The Highlanders earned marquee non-conference triumphs over the likes of Colgate, Army and Wagner, while collecting league wins over Kennesaw State, Jacksonville, North Florida, Stetson, North Alabama, and FGCU. They have dropped league bouts to North Alabama, Lipscomb, Liberty and Kennesaw State.
Abdul Lewis (12.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg) leads the league in rebounding, while Zach Cooks (17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is the third-best scorer in the ASUN this year. Cooks is also third for NJIT in rebounding behind San Antonio Brinson (7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and Diandre Wilson (11.1 ppg) completes a trio of Highlanders who average in double figures.
Series History:
The two programs have met just seven times, with FGCU owning a 5-2 record in the brief series. Every matchup has come since 2016. The Eagles are 3-0 in Fort Myers and 2-2 in Newark. NJIT knocked off FGCU 66-54 on Jan. 30 to snap a four-game losing streak in the series.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Peter Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238821
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/cfcc1774-7837-468f-ba39-d8f8d7187cec/njit-vs-florida-gulf-coast
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off of a 74-67 loss to Liberty and are tied for 4th in the A-SUN with North Alabama.
Leading the way for the Eagles remains with redshirt senior Shadarac Casimir. Casimir is averaging 14.7 points per game with 65 3-pointers made (2.5 per game). Casimir had 33 points in the loss against Liberty. In fact, the Iona transfer is averaging 19.2 points in conference.
Scouting the Higlanders:
NJIT sports a mighty 18-7 record this season. The Highlanders earned marquee non-conference triumphs over the likes of Colgate, Army and Wagner, while collecting league wins over Kennesaw State, Jacksonville, North Florida, Stetson, North Alabama, and FGCU. They have dropped league bouts to North Alabama, Lipscomb, Liberty and Kennesaw State.
Abdul Lewis (12.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg) leads the league in rebounding, while Zach Cooks (17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is the third-best scorer in the ASUN this year. Cooks is also third for NJIT in rebounding behind San Antonio Brinson (7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and Diandre Wilson (11.1 ppg) completes a trio of Highlanders who average in double figures.
Series History:
The two programs have met just seven times, with FGCU owning a 5-2 record in the brief series. Every matchup has come since 2016. The Eagles are 3-0 in Fort Myers and 2-2 in Newark. NJIT knocked off FGCU 66-54 on Jan. 30 to snap a four-game losing streak in the series.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Peter Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
NJIT: @NJITMBB
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/cfcc1774-7837-468f-ba39-d8f8d7187cec/njit-vs-florida-gulf-coast
FGCU MBB @ Liberty Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (10-16, 5-6 A-SUN) lost a narrow 74-67 road contest to Liberty (21-5, 10-1 A-SUN) Saturday night in Vines Center. Despite the setback, the Eagles remained in a tie for fourth place in the A-SUN Conference after North Alabama (8-18, 5-6 A-SUN) fell at home earlier in the day to North Florida.
"You have to give credit to Liberty tonight for making the plays down the stretch to win the game," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I was really proud of our fight down 14 to cut it back to two, but they made a few more plays than us down the stretch. We will learn from tonight and prepare for NJIT on Wednesday."
"I had a feeling this was going to be hard. Florida Gulf Coast is used to competing at the top of the league on an annual basis and they've been playing a lot better," said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. "I felt like coming off the Stetson game, not playing as well as we could have and FGCU playing well, I knew it was going to be tough. I thought our guys did the hard little things that lead to winning and I was really proud that we were able to come out with a team victory."
Senior Schadrac Casimir erupted for a game-high 33 points in the contest. He was 8 of 14 overall, 5 of 8 from downtown and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line to hit the 30-point mark for the third time this season. Joining him in double figures was classmate Dinero Mercurius, who scored 16 points all in the second half off the bench.
FGCU shot 46.7 percent (21-for-45) from the field, 41.7 percent (10-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 71.4 percent (15-for-21) at the free-throw mark. The Flames finished shooting 43.3 percent (26-for-60) overall, 35.5 percent (11-for-31) from distance and 84.6 percent (11-for-13) at the charity stripe.
Scottie James paced LU with 12 points and 14 rebounds, Caleb Homesley added 13 points, Lovell Cabbil contributed 12 points and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz scored 10 for the Flames.
The Eagles hung with the home side through the entire opening 20 minutes of play and trailed just 35-31 at intermission. FGCU stole the momentum early by taking a 12-6 lead, but a 7-0 run allowed LU to go back on top. Liberty was able to stretch its advantage out to 21-16 and maintain that five-point cushion at 23-18 with six minutes remaining in the opening half. Five points from Casimir sparked a 9-2 run that gave the visitors a 29-26 edge with just 1:28 left until the break. Three 3-point baskets on the last three possessions from Liberty spoiled a 19-point first-half effort from Casimir and gave the Flames a four-point lead heading into the locker room.
Liberty was able to carry that momentum into the second half, but FGCU remained close with a pair of triples from Casimir and true freshman Zach Scott to hold the gap at 51-44 at the 12:21 mark. Over the course of the next three minutes, LU used another 7-0 run to push the lead out to 58-44, but eight points from Mercurius and a layup from sophomore Brian Thomas kept FGCU within striking distance at 60-54. When all was said and done, Mercurius had exploded for 14 points in just three and a half minutes to spark a 16-4 run and get FGCU within 62-60. The visitors fought hard the last five minutes, but one last 12-7 push from the home side allowed Liberty to avoid falling at home.
Up Next:
FGCU puts its four-game home win streak on the line when the Green and Blue plays host to NJIT at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in Alico Arena. The midweek clash will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will feature a Blueout. The Highlanders (18-7, 6-4 A-SUN) will enter the game third place in the conference. They defeated the Eagles 66-54 Jan. 30 in New Jersey.
"You have to give credit to Liberty tonight for making the plays down the stretch to win the game," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "I was really proud of our fight down 14 to cut it back to two, but they made a few more plays than us down the stretch. We will learn from tonight and prepare for NJIT on Wednesday."
"I had a feeling this was going to be hard. Florida Gulf Coast is used to competing at the top of the league on an annual basis and they've been playing a lot better," said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. "I felt like coming off the Stetson game, not playing as well as we could have and FGCU playing well, I knew it was going to be tough. I thought our guys did the hard little things that lead to winning and I was really proud that we were able to come out with a team victory."
Senior Schadrac Casimir erupted for a game-high 33 points in the contest. He was 8 of 14 overall, 5 of 8 from downtown and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line to hit the 30-point mark for the third time this season. Joining him in double figures was classmate Dinero Mercurius, who scored 16 points all in the second half off the bench.
FGCU shot 46.7 percent (21-for-45) from the field, 41.7 percent (10-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 71.4 percent (15-for-21) at the free-throw mark. The Flames finished shooting 43.3 percent (26-for-60) overall, 35.5 percent (11-for-31) from distance and 84.6 percent (11-for-13) at the charity stripe.
Scottie James paced LU with 12 points and 14 rebounds, Caleb Homesley added 13 points, Lovell Cabbil contributed 12 points and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz scored 10 for the Flames.
The Eagles hung with the home side through the entire opening 20 minutes of play and trailed just 35-31 at intermission. FGCU stole the momentum early by taking a 12-6 lead, but a 7-0 run allowed LU to go back on top. Liberty was able to stretch its advantage out to 21-16 and maintain that five-point cushion at 23-18 with six minutes remaining in the opening half. Five points from Casimir sparked a 9-2 run that gave the visitors a 29-26 edge with just 1:28 left until the break. Three 3-point baskets on the last three possessions from Liberty spoiled a 19-point first-half effort from Casimir and gave the Flames a four-point lead heading into the locker room.
Liberty was able to carry that momentum into the second half, but FGCU remained close with a pair of triples from Casimir and true freshman Zach Scott to hold the gap at 51-44 at the 12:21 mark. Over the course of the next three minutes, LU used another 7-0 run to push the lead out to 58-44, but eight points from Mercurius and a layup from sophomore Brian Thomas kept FGCU within striking distance at 60-54. When all was said and done, Mercurius had exploded for 14 points in just three and a half minutes to spark a 16-4 run and get FGCU within 62-60. The visitors fought hard the last five minutes, but one last 12-7 push from the home side allowed Liberty to avoid falling at home.
Up Next:
FGCU puts its four-game home win streak on the line when the Green and Blue plays host to NJIT at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in Alico Arena. The midweek clash will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will feature a Blueout. The Highlanders (18-7, 6-4 A-SUN) will enter the game third place in the conference. They defeated the Eagles 66-54 Jan. 30 in New Jersey.
FGCU MBB @ Liberty Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team hits the road for a contest against Liberty at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in Vines Center. The Saturday A-SUN Conference game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Eagles (10-15, 5-5 A-SUN) are streaking lately, having won five of their last seven. The Flames (20-5, 9-1 A-SUN) sit second place in the league and are the only conference side with 20 wins this season.
Last Time Out:
FGCU ascended to .500 in ASUN Conference play with a 71-64 win over North Alabama Wednesday evening in Alico Arena. The Eagles won their fourth-straight home game and have been victorious in five of their last seven overall to rise into a tie for fourth place in the ASUN standings.
Zach Scott scored a team-high 17 points and continued his torrid pace as of late. The true freshman went 6 of 8 overall and 5 of 6 from 3-point land. He has scored in double figures in all five of FGCU's last five victories, and he has notched at least 14 in three of his last four. Senior Dinero Mercurius continues to shine off the bench, as he poured in four triples and landed on 16 points. Fellow senior Schadrac Casimir added 13 points, while true freshman Caleb Catto dropped 11.
The Eagles shot 46.0 percent (23-for-50) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from 3-point territory and 83.3 percent (15-for-18) at the free-throw stripe. The Lions posted shooting percentages of 37.0 (20-for-54) overall, 27.6 (8-for-29) from deep and 69.6 (16-for-23) at the line.
Scouting The Flames:
Dating back to a road win at UCLA, Liberty has won 10 of its last 11 outings. The team's only ASUN loss was at home to unblemished Lipscomb. The Flames are the only 20-win program in the conference so far this year, as they sit 20-5 overall and 9-1 in league action.
Scottie James (12.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg) leads LU in both scoring and rebounding. Caleb Homesley (12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is second in both categories, while Lovell Cabbil (10.8 ppg) also averages double digits for the Flames.
Liberty is 12-1 at home in 2018-19.
The Eagles (10-15, 5-5 A-SUN) are streaking lately, having won five of their last seven. The Flames (20-5, 9-1 A-SUN) sit second place in the league and are the only conference side with 20 wins this season.
Last Time Out:
FGCU ascended to .500 in ASUN Conference play with a 71-64 win over North Alabama Wednesday evening in Alico Arena. The Eagles won their fourth-straight home game and have been victorious in five of their last seven overall to rise into a tie for fourth place in the ASUN standings.
Zach Scott scored a team-high 17 points and continued his torrid pace as of late. The true freshman went 6 of 8 overall and 5 of 6 from 3-point land. He has scored in double figures in all five of FGCU's last five victories, and he has notched at least 14 in three of his last four. Senior Dinero Mercurius continues to shine off the bench, as he poured in four triples and landed on 16 points. Fellow senior Schadrac Casimir added 13 points, while true freshman Caleb Catto dropped 11.
The Eagles shot 46.0 percent (23-for-50) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from 3-point territory and 83.3 percent (15-for-18) at the free-throw stripe. The Lions posted shooting percentages of 37.0 (20-for-54) overall, 27.6 (8-for-29) from deep and 69.6 (16-for-23) at the line.
Scouting The Flames:
Dating back to a road win at UCLA, Liberty has won 10 of its last 11 outings. The team's only ASUN loss was at home to unblemished Lipscomb. The Flames are the only 20-win program in the conference so far this year, as they sit 20-5 overall and 9-1 in league action.
Scottie James (12.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg) leads LU in both scoring and rebounding. Caleb Homesley (12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is second in both categories, while Lovell Cabbil (10.8 ppg) also averages double digits for the Flames.
Liberty is 12-1 at home in 2018-19.
Series History:
The series between Liberty and FGCU began earlier this year on Jan. 5, when the Flames opened A-SUN action with an 81-63 victory over the Eagles in Fort Myers, Florida. This is the first year LU has been members of the league.
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
Liberty: @LibertyMBB
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=230471&vislive=fguu
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3227ad52-6207-49ce-8471-08df43d15556/florida-gulf-coast-vs-liberty
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
Liberty: @LibertyMBB
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=230471&vislive=fguu
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3227ad52-6207-49ce-8471-08df43d15556/florida-gulf-coast-vs-liberty
FGCU MBB vs North Alabama Recap
In a wave of white, the FGCU men's basketball team (10-15, 5-5 A-SUN) managed to get their payback and split the series as they defeated North Alabama (8-17, 5-5 A-SUN) 71-64. With the win, the Eagles are now 1-3 against the Lions.
"I was really proud of our fight and effort tonight, especially against a team that's as competitive as (North Alabama). (UNA) coach (Tony) Pujol is a good friend of mine. His team fights and claws for everything, and he's doing a tremendous job with that program," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "That's as tough a team as we've played all year, and to our guys' credit we were able to find a way to win. There were a couple of times the game could have swung in the wrong direction for us, but we had everyone step up tonight and make big plays down the stretch. I think we are still progressing and getting better every day. As long as we continue to get better, the scoreboard will take care of itself."
Freshman Zach Scott scored a team-high 17 points and continued his torrid pace as of late. The true freshman went 6 of 8 overall and 5 of 6 from 3-point land. He has scored in double figures in all five of FGCU's last five victories, and he has notched at least 14 in three of his last four. Senior Dinero Mercurius continues to shine off the bench, as he poured in four triples and landed on 16 points. Fellow senior Schadrac Casimir added 13 points, while true freshman Caleb Catto dropped 11.
The Eagles shot 46.0 percent (23-for-50) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from 3-point territory and 83.3 percent (15-for-18) at the free-throw stripe. The Lions posted shooting percentages of 37.0 (20-for-54) overall, 27.6 (8-for-29) from deep and 69.6 (16-for-23) at the line.
Freshman Christian Agnew scored a game-high 23 points for UNA, while fellow freshman Jamari Blackmon used up 13 shots to finish with 14 points.
The initial feeling-out process saw a timid pace through the opening five minutes of action, but a methodical 9-0 run from the home side saw FGCU build a 19-10 lead at the midway point of the first half. The largest lead of the game for the Eagles came at the 9:03 mark when they soared ahead 24-13. North Alabama slowly began to chip away throughout the remainder of the opening stanza, however, and even secured a three-point advantage before Scott knocked down a 3-point basket on FGCU's final possession to send the two sides into intermission locked at 31-31.
The steady opening 20 minutes made way to a frantic second half where the lead seesawed back and forth in the early moments. Neither team could find a cushion of more than five points all the way until Scott connected on yet another 3-pointer at the 7:06 mark to give the Green and Blue a 54-47 lead. Mercurius knocked down a rare fast-break triple with 5:42 to play to push FGCU's lead out to 59-50. UNA would not go down quietly, however, as they stifled the Eagle offense and used a 10-2 run to get within 61-60 with just two minutes to play. The home side regained its composure and immediately stretched the lead back out to seven over the next minute of action thanks to four critical points from Casimir and a layup from Catto. From that point on, clutch free throws from Catto and junior RaySean Scott Jr. sealed the game for the Green and Blue.
FGCU won the turnover battle (12-15) and also led in assists (15-6), blocks (4-1), steals (8-5), points in the paint (24-18), points off turnovers (21-10), fast-break points (11-2), and bench points (31-9).
The win was the first in school history against North Alabama. The Lions still lead the brief all-time series 3-1, but FGCU was able to exact revenge after UNA topped the Eagles 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
Up Next:
FGCU faces a difficult test on the road at Liberty. The Eagles and Flames will lock up at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Saturday clash will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will feature a rematch from earlier this season that saw LU knock off FGCU in Fort Myers.
"I was really proud of our fight and effort tonight, especially against a team that's as competitive as (North Alabama). (UNA) coach (Tony) Pujol is a good friend of mine. His team fights and claws for everything, and he's doing a tremendous job with that program," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "That's as tough a team as we've played all year, and to our guys' credit we were able to find a way to win. There were a couple of times the game could have swung in the wrong direction for us, but we had everyone step up tonight and make big plays down the stretch. I think we are still progressing and getting better every day. As long as we continue to get better, the scoreboard will take care of itself."
Freshman Zach Scott scored a team-high 17 points and continued his torrid pace as of late. The true freshman went 6 of 8 overall and 5 of 6 from 3-point land. He has scored in double figures in all five of FGCU's last five victories, and he has notched at least 14 in three of his last four. Senior Dinero Mercurius continues to shine off the bench, as he poured in four triples and landed on 16 points. Fellow senior Schadrac Casimir added 13 points, while true freshman Caleb Catto dropped 11.
The Eagles shot 46.0 percent (23-for-50) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from 3-point territory and 83.3 percent (15-for-18) at the free-throw stripe. The Lions posted shooting percentages of 37.0 (20-for-54) overall, 27.6 (8-for-29) from deep and 69.6 (16-for-23) at the line.
Freshman Christian Agnew scored a game-high 23 points for UNA, while fellow freshman Jamari Blackmon used up 13 shots to finish with 14 points.
The initial feeling-out process saw a timid pace through the opening five minutes of action, but a methodical 9-0 run from the home side saw FGCU build a 19-10 lead at the midway point of the first half. The largest lead of the game for the Eagles came at the 9:03 mark when they soared ahead 24-13. North Alabama slowly began to chip away throughout the remainder of the opening stanza, however, and even secured a three-point advantage before Scott knocked down a 3-point basket on FGCU's final possession to send the two sides into intermission locked at 31-31.
The steady opening 20 minutes made way to a frantic second half where the lead seesawed back and forth in the early moments. Neither team could find a cushion of more than five points all the way until Scott connected on yet another 3-pointer at the 7:06 mark to give the Green and Blue a 54-47 lead. Mercurius knocked down a rare fast-break triple with 5:42 to play to push FGCU's lead out to 59-50. UNA would not go down quietly, however, as they stifled the Eagle offense and used a 10-2 run to get within 61-60 with just two minutes to play. The home side regained its composure and immediately stretched the lead back out to seven over the next minute of action thanks to four critical points from Casimir and a layup from Catto. From that point on, clutch free throws from Catto and junior RaySean Scott Jr. sealed the game for the Green and Blue.
FGCU won the turnover battle (12-15) and also led in assists (15-6), blocks (4-1), steals (8-5), points in the paint (24-18), points off turnovers (21-10), fast-break points (11-2), and bench points (31-9).
The win was the first in school history against North Alabama. The Lions still lead the brief all-time series 3-1, but FGCU was able to exact revenge after UNA topped the Eagles 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
Up Next:
FGCU faces a difficult test on the road at Liberty. The Eagles and Flames will lock up at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Saturday clash will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will feature a rematch from earlier this season that saw LU knock off FGCU in Fort Myers.
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
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
FGCU MBB vs JU Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (9-15, 4-5 ASUN) earned its third-straight home win by defeating Jacksonville (10-14, 3-6 ASUN) 73-60 Saturday night inside Alico Arena. With the win, the Eagles are now 13-11 against the Dolphins.
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.
"That was a great team win tonight. We've had to fight through a lot of adversity this season, and it's nice to see the players respond the way they have lately," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "(Jacksonville) threw the first punch getting ahead 10-0, but we were able to maintain our composure and find a way back in it."
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.
Senior JD Notae scored 22 points before fouling out, while Tyreese Davis added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Dolphins.
Jacksonville came out rocking, scoring the first 10 points of the game. The visitors maintained that cushion up until finding a 16-6 advantage at the under-12 media timeout. The next six minutes were, quite literally, all FGCU. The Eagles erupted on a 19-0 run that featured eight points from Mercurius and nine combined between freshmen Scott and Caleb Catto. The Dolphins also went 0-for-7 and turned the ball over five times during that critical stretch.
JU was able to get within four late in the opening stanza, but a 3-point basket from Casimir in the final minute of the frame sent FGCU into the locker room with a 32-25 cushion.
The Eagles never trailed in the second half, but the visitors did not allow the home side to run away with the game. Jacksonville closed the gap to within four at the 14:37 mark, but FGCU pushed back on top by 10 at 49-39 with 12 minutes left in the contest. After struggling from the free-throw line early in the game, the Eagles went 13-for-16 down the stretch to help seal the victory. Scott also scored nine of his team-high 18 in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
FGCU outrebounded Jacksonville 36-33 and also led in assists (14-11), blocks (4-2), points in the paint (38-28), points off turnovers (20-15), fast-break points (15-13), and bench points (22-9).
Up Next:
The Eagles remain in Alico Arena for a contest against North Alabama at 7 p.m. Feb. 6. The Wednesday tilt will be a Whiteout, and FGCU will look to split the season series after the Lions knocked off the Green and Blue 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
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.
"That was a great team win tonight. We've had to fight through a lot of adversity this season, and it's nice to see the players respond the way they have lately," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "(Jacksonville) threw the first punch getting ahead 10-0, but we were able to maintain our composure and find a way back in it."
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.
Senior JD Notae scored 22 points before fouling out, while Tyreese Davis added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Dolphins.
Jacksonville came out rocking, scoring the first 10 points of the game. The visitors maintained that cushion up until finding a 16-6 advantage at the under-12 media timeout. The next six minutes were, quite literally, all FGCU. The Eagles erupted on a 19-0 run that featured eight points from Mercurius and nine combined between freshmen Scott and Caleb Catto. The Dolphins also went 0-for-7 and turned the ball over five times during that critical stretch.
JU was able to get within four late in the opening stanza, but a 3-point basket from Casimir in the final minute of the frame sent FGCU into the locker room with a 32-25 cushion.
The Eagles never trailed in the second half, but the visitors did not allow the home side to run away with the game. Jacksonville closed the gap to within four at the 14:37 mark, but FGCU pushed back on top by 10 at 49-39 with 12 minutes left in the contest. After struggling from the free-throw line early in the game, the Eagles went 13-for-16 down the stretch to help seal the victory. Scott also scored nine of his team-high 18 in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
FGCU outrebounded Jacksonville 36-33 and also led in assists (14-11), blocks (4-2), points in the paint (38-28), points off turnovers (20-15), fast-break points (15-13), and bench points (22-9).
Up Next:
The Eagles remain in Alico Arena for a contest against North Alabama at 7 p.m. Feb. 6. The Wednesday tilt will be a Whiteout, and FGCU will look to split the season series after the Lions knocked off the Green and Blue 61-56 on Jan. 8 in Florence, Alabama.
FGCU MBB vs JU Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team will play host to Jacksonville at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 inside Alico Arena. The Saturday tilt will be part of the campus-wide Homecoming Week festivities and will also be a Blueout. The contest will be sponsored by NCH Healthcare Systems.
The Eagles (8-15, 3-5 A-SUN) will look to continue their dominant play at home as of late, while the Dolphins (10-13, 3-5 A-SUN) have won two of their last three.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles dropped a tough 66-54 decision to NJIT this past Wednesday night inside NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
The Eagles were led by a career performance from Troy Baxter Jr., as the sophomore went 8-for-16 from the field and tallied career highs in both points (21) and made 3-pointers (4). Senior Schadrac Casimir contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists, and junior Christian Carlyle finished 4-for-6 with eight points.
FGCU shot 48.9 percent (23-for-47) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 25 percent (1-for-4) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) overall, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from distance and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) at the stripe.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins enter Saturday with a 10-13 ledger and a 3-5 mark in the ASUN. The Dolphins rattled off six wins in a seven-game stretch earlier this season, but since that mark they have dropped eight of their last 11. They own league triumphs over Kennesaw State, North Florida and Stetson.
Despite only starting 14 games this season, sophomore JD Notae has become one of the most lethal scorers in the A-SUN. He leads JU in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Redshirt senior Jace Hogan (13.4 ppg) is the only other player to average in double digits, and his 5.6 rebounds per game is also second on the team.
Jacksonville has an impressive 5-7 road record this season, most recently knocking off the Ospreys on their home floor (Jan. 24).
Series History:
This will be the 24th all-time meeting between FGCU and JU. The Eagles hold a narrow 12-11 advantage, which includes victories in the last four meetings. FGCU is also 12-4 against the Dolphins since 2011. Jacksonville claimed the first seven matchups from 2008-10.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
1. Alumni Game: FGCU will host an alumni game at 12:30 p.m. in Alico Arena on Saturday prior to the doubleheader against Jacksonville. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.
Here's the rosters for the game:
Blue
Mikala McGhee (2016-17)
Taylor Gradinjan (2012-18)
Eddie Murray (2008-13)
Nate Hicks (2012-15)
Leon Woodstock (2005-06)
Zachery Christian (2011-12)
Scot Wilson (2002-04)
Green
Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17)
China Dow (2016-18)
Marcus Blake (2010-15)
Darrin Wallace (2002-03)
Roman Brown (2002-04)
Marcus Watts (2004-06)
Andrew French (2002-03)
Christian Terrell (2014-18)
2. Laces of Love: FGCU product, World Series champion and current Boston Red Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have once again partnered with local charity, Laces of Love. New shoes/sneakers will be accepted upon entry to Alico Arena on Saturday and will be given to children in need in Lee and Collier counties.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/16860575-9db4-423c-8e66-8cc7948989d5/jacksonville-vs-florida-gulf-coast
The Eagles (8-15, 3-5 A-SUN) will look to continue their dominant play at home as of late, while the Dolphins (10-13, 3-5 A-SUN) have won two of their last three.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles dropped a tough 66-54 decision to NJIT this past Wednesday night inside NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
The Eagles were led by a career performance from Troy Baxter Jr., as the sophomore went 8-for-16 from the field and tallied career highs in both points (21) and made 3-pointers (4). Senior Schadrac Casimir contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists, and junior Christian Carlyle finished 4-for-6 with eight points.
FGCU shot 48.9 percent (23-for-47) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 25 percent (1-for-4) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) overall, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from distance and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) at the stripe.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins enter Saturday with a 10-13 ledger and a 3-5 mark in the ASUN. The Dolphins rattled off six wins in a seven-game stretch earlier this season, but since that mark they have dropped eight of their last 11. They own league triumphs over Kennesaw State, North Florida and Stetson.
Despite only starting 14 games this season, sophomore JD Notae has become one of the most lethal scorers in the A-SUN. He leads JU in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Redshirt senior Jace Hogan (13.4 ppg) is the only other player to average in double digits, and his 5.6 rebounds per game is also second on the team.
Jacksonville has an impressive 5-7 road record this season, most recently knocking off the Ospreys on their home floor (Jan. 24).
Series History:
This will be the 24th all-time meeting between FGCU and JU. The Eagles hold a narrow 12-11 advantage, which includes victories in the last four meetings. FGCU is also 12-4 against the Dolphins since 2011. Jacksonville claimed the first seven matchups from 2008-10.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator David Moulton and color commentator Pete Lonergan.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Promos:
1. Alumni Game: FGCU will host an alumni game at 12:30 p.m. in Alico Arena on Saturday prior to the doubleheader against Jacksonville. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.
Here's the rosters for the game:
Blue
Mikala McGhee (2016-17)
Taylor Gradinjan (2012-18)
Eddie Murray (2008-13)
Nate Hicks (2012-15)
Leon Woodstock (2005-06)
Zachery Christian (2011-12)
Scot Wilson (2002-04)
Green
Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17)
China Dow (2016-18)
Marcus Blake (2010-15)
Darrin Wallace (2002-03)
Roman Brown (2002-04)
Marcus Watts (2004-06)
Andrew French (2002-03)
Christian Terrell (2014-18)
2. Laces of Love: FGCU product, World Series champion and current Boston Red Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have once again partnered with local charity, Laces of Love. New shoes/sneakers will be accepted upon entry to Alico Arena on Saturday and will be given to children in need in Lee and Collier counties.
3. Blue Out: Marketing is encouraging fans to wear blue to the game.
4. Homecoming Weekend: This will be the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles. The following others will be a part of the alumni basketball game-
a. Homecoming Tailgate*: Enjoy food, cash bar, games and live music from SOWFLO.
b. Breakfast with Azul*: Join Azul for an all-you-can eat buffet at Sovi. Activities for the kids, photo opportunities with Azul and lots of yummy food.
c. Brunch with the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network*: End Homecoming at Brunch Bar & Patio! Enjoy delicious food and drink with your fellow alumni before you head home. We will have special seating starting at 10am! All alumni, family, and friends are invited to attend this event hosted by the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=2388194. Homecoming Weekend: This will be the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles. The following others will be a part of the alumni basketball game-
a. Homecoming Tailgate*: Enjoy food, cash bar, games and live music from SOWFLO.
b. Breakfast with Azul*: Join Azul for an all-you-can eat buffet at Sovi. Activities for the kids, photo opportunities with Azul and lots of yummy food.
c. Brunch with the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network*: End Homecoming at Brunch Bar & Patio! Enjoy delicious food and drink with your fellow alumni before you head home. We will have special seating starting at 10am! All alumni, family, and friends are invited to attend this event hosted by the Greek Life SWFL Alumni Network.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/16860575-9db4-423c-8e66-8cc7948989d5/jacksonville-vs-florida-gulf-coast
FGCU MBB @ NJIT Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (8-15, 3-5 ASUN) dropped a tough 66-54 decision to NJIT (18-5, 6-2 ASUN) Wednesday night inside NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
The Eagles were led by a career performance from sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. went 8-for-16 from the field and tallied career highs in both points (21) and made 3-pointers (4). Senior Schadrac Casimir contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists, and junior Christian Carlyle finished 4-for-6 with eight points.
"I thought (NJIT) was better than us. They played with more energy, and I thought our lack of bodies bothered our legs tonight," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "Credit goes to NJIT for being the better team in this one. We'll get back to Fort Myers, prepare for Jacksonville and continue to get better daily."
FGCU shot 48.9 percent (23-for-47) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 25 percent (1-for-4) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) overall, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from distance and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) at the stripe.
Zach Cooks led NJIT with 17 points, and San Antonio Brinson contributed 13.
Baxter Jr. connected on three 3-pointers early to give the Green and Blue an early 9-4 advantage, but both offenses were fairly stagnant in the opening half. The Highlanders held FGCU in check and gained a 23-16 lead with six minutes to play. They were able to remain on top and take a 30-26 lead into the halftime break.
The Eagles cut NJIT's advantage down to three early in the second stanza and had multiple chances to tie the contest, but they struggled to score as the home team slowly built a 50-39 lead midway through the period. FGCU locked down defensively but was unable to get into a rhythm on the other end as the Highlanders were able to fend off the visitors. NJIT's Donovan Greer hit a jumper at 6:09 to put his side on top 56-46, and team kept the lead in double figures the rest of the way.
The home team led in rebounding (35-26) and steals (9-6), but FGCU paced the evening in assists (13-7) and blocks (4-0).
Up Next:
The Eagles return home for a meeting with Jacksonville at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 in Alico Arena. The promotion will be a Blueout and will be a doubleheader with the FGCU women.
The Eagles were led by a career performance from sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. went 8-for-16 from the field and tallied career highs in both points (21) and made 3-pointers (4). Senior Schadrac Casimir contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists, and junior Christian Carlyle finished 4-for-6 with eight points.
"I thought (NJIT) was better than us. They played with more energy, and I thought our lack of bodies bothered our legs tonight," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "Credit goes to NJIT for being the better team in this one. We'll get back to Fort Myers, prepare for Jacksonville and continue to get better daily."
FGCU shot 48.9 percent (23-for-47) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from behind the 3-point line and 25 percent (1-for-4) at the free-throw line. The Highlanders shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) overall, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from distance and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) at the stripe.
Zach Cooks led NJIT with 17 points, and San Antonio Brinson contributed 13.
Baxter Jr. connected on three 3-pointers early to give the Green and Blue an early 9-4 advantage, but both offenses were fairly stagnant in the opening half. The Highlanders held FGCU in check and gained a 23-16 lead with six minutes to play. They were able to remain on top and take a 30-26 lead into the halftime break.
The Eagles cut NJIT's advantage down to three early in the second stanza and had multiple chances to tie the contest, but they struggled to score as the home team slowly built a 50-39 lead midway through the period. FGCU locked down defensively but was unable to get into a rhythm on the other end as the Highlanders were able to fend off the visitors. NJIT's Donovan Greer hit a jumper at 6:09 to put his side on top 56-46, and team kept the lead in double figures the rest of the way.
The home team led in rebounding (35-26) and steals (9-6), but FGCU paced the evening in assists (13-7) and blocks (4-0).
Up Next:
The Eagles return home for a meeting with Jacksonville at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 in Alico Arena. The promotion will be a Blueout and will be a doubleheader with the FGCU women.
FGCU MBB @ NJIT Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team has won three of its last four games and will look to keep the momentum going with a road tilt at NJIT set for 7 p.m. Jan. 30 inside NJIT Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The Eagles (8-14, 3-4 A-SUN) have knocked off Kennesaw State, Stetson and North Florida as of late. The Highlanders (17-5, 5-2 A-SUN) are on a four-game win streak of their own.
Last Time Out:
FGCU earned a season split by knocking off North Florida 88-80 in A-SUN Conference action Sunday evening in Alico Arena. The Eagles have turned a corner as of late, winning three of their last four games over the last nine days. The victory for the Green and Blue avenged a loss from Jan. 12 in Jacksonville where the Ospreys defeated FGCU 87-66. The Eagles shot 50 percent (32-for-64) from the field, 42.1 percent (8-for-19) from 3-point range and a season-best 88.9 percent (16-for-18) at the free-throw line against UNF.
Senior Schadrac Casimir poured in 33 points, shooting 9 of 14 overall, 6 of 10 from 3-point range and 9 of 11 at the free-throw line. Casimir is averaging 14.2 points per game. The Iona transfer was named A-SUN Newcomer of the Week for the fourth time this season.
True freshman Zach Scott contributed 14 points. Scott is averaging 7.6 points per game.
Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. added 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a block. Baxter Jr. is averaging 7.3 points per game and leads the team in blocks (20).
Sophomore Brian Thomas registered 10 points and seven rebounds. Since starting in three-straight games after redshirt junior Brady Ernst's concussion, the Kennesaw native is averaging 10 points per game. Thomas is averaging 4.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game and is second behind Baxter Jr. in blocks (18).
Junior Christian Carlyle pumped up the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Carlyle is averaging 8.5 points per game.
The Eagles (8-14, 3-4 A-SUN) have knocked off Kennesaw State, Stetson and North Florida as of late. The Highlanders (17-5, 5-2 A-SUN) are on a four-game win streak of their own.
Last Time Out:
FGCU earned a season split by knocking off North Florida 88-80 in A-SUN Conference action Sunday evening in Alico Arena. The Eagles have turned a corner as of late, winning three of their last four games over the last nine days. The victory for the Green and Blue avenged a loss from Jan. 12 in Jacksonville where the Ospreys defeated FGCU 87-66. The Eagles shot 50 percent (32-for-64) from the field, 42.1 percent (8-for-19) from 3-point range and a season-best 88.9 percent (16-for-18) at the free-throw line against UNF.
Senior Schadrac Casimir poured in 33 points, shooting 9 of 14 overall, 6 of 10 from 3-point range and 9 of 11 at the free-throw line. Casimir is averaging 14.2 points per game. The Iona transfer was named A-SUN Newcomer of the Week for the fourth time this season.
True freshman Zach Scott contributed 14 points. Scott is averaging 7.6 points per game.
Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. added 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a block. Baxter Jr. is averaging 7.3 points per game and leads the team in blocks (20).
Sophomore Brian Thomas registered 10 points and seven rebounds. Since starting in three-straight games after redshirt junior Brady Ernst's concussion, the Kennesaw native is averaging 10 points per game. Thomas is averaging 4.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game and is second behind Baxter Jr. in blocks (18).
Junior Christian Carlyle pumped up the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Carlyle is averaging 8.5 points per game.
Scouting NJIT:
The Highlanders have only a handful of losses sprinkled throughout a fruitful 17 victories. The Highlanders earned marquee non-conference triumphs over the likes of Colgate, Army and Wagner, while earning league wins over Kennesaw State, Jacksonville, North Florida, Stetson, and North Alabama. The only two A-SUN setbacks were on the road to UNA and at home to Lipscomb.
Senior Abdul Lewis (12.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg) leads the league in rebounding, while sophomore Zach Cooks (18.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is the third-best scorer in the A-SUN this year. Cooks is also second for NJIT in rebounding, and senior Diandre Wilson (11.4 ppg) completes a trio of Highlanders who average in double figures.
NJIT is 8-2 at home this season.
Series History:
The two programs have met just six times, with FGCU owning a 5-1 record in the brief series. Every matchup has come since 2016. The Eagles are 3-0 in Fort Myers and 2-1 in Newark, while riding a four-game win streak in the series.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Mike Ventola and color commentator Dave Calloway.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Livestats Link: https://www.njithighlanders.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/2eaa18dc-d1b5-4d3b-990e-22e367beb31f/florida-gulf-coast-vs-njit
Senior Abdul Lewis (12.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg) leads the league in rebounding, while sophomore Zach Cooks (18.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is the third-best scorer in the A-SUN this year. Cooks is also second for NJIT in rebounding, and senior Diandre Wilson (11.4 ppg) completes a trio of Highlanders who average in double figures.
NJIT is 8-2 at home this season.
Series History:
The two programs have met just six times, with FGCU owning a 5-1 record in the brief series. Every matchup has come since 2016. The Eagles are 3-0 in Fort Myers and 2-1 in Newark, while riding a four-game win streak in the series.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Mike Ventola and color commentator Dave Calloway.
Fans can also keep updated on the teams' Twitter accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WBB
NJIT: @NJITMBB
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
ESPN+ Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/2eaa18dc-d1b5-4d3b-990e-22e367beb31f/florida-gulf-coast-vs-njit
FGCU MBB vs UNF Recap
The FGCU men's basketball team (8-14, 3-4 A-SUN) earned their redemption in a rematch as they clipped UNF (8-15, 3-5 A-SUN) 88-80. With the win, the Eagles are now 18-13 against the Ospreys.
"I'm really proud of our team. I thought we played hard and competed all game. The players have been really good about listening to what we have been saying from a scouting standpoint in these last four games," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "(North Florida is) a really good team. They've got guys like (Noah) Horchler and (Wajid) Aminu who combine for 47 points. Some of those guys have been playing together for three years now. That's big for us to be able to get a win against a veteran team that got us at their place."
"It was another hard fought game and tough loss," said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. "Proud of how the guys continue to battle, compete and persevere. Just have to continue working to be able to get those key stops and make the simple plays when we need it. We will get back to work tomorrow and prepare to play Kennesaw State on Wednesday night."
The victory for the Eagles avenges a loss from Jan. 12 in Jacksonville where the Ospreys defeated FGCU 87-66.
Redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir poured in 33 points, shooting 9 of 14 overall, 6 of 10 from 3-point range and 9 of 11 at the free-throw line.
True freshman Zach Scott contributed 14 points, and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. added 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a block.
Classmate Brian Thomas registered 10 points and seven rebounds, and junior Christian Carlyle pumped up the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Junior Wajid Aminu scored 25 points for the visitors while fellow junior Noah Horchler added 22. Junior Ivan Gandia-Rosa was one assist shy of a double-double as he recorded 10 points and nine assists.
The Eagles shot 50 percent (32-for-64) from the field, 42.1 percent (8-for-19) from 3-point range and a season-best 88.9 percent (16-for-18) at the free-throw line. UNF shot 44.1 percent (30-for-68) overall, 39.4 percent (13-for-33) from deep and 70 percent (7-for-10) at the charity stripe.
The contest featured a whopping 15 lead changes, 11 of which came in the opening half. FGCU took an early 12-4 lead and later held a 16-9 advantage, but the visitors used an 8-0 run to swing momentum back into their favor. Neither team could separate any more than four points until the Eagles found themselves on top 45-37 with 2:43 left in the first. North Florida cut the gap to one, however, by ending the opening frame on a 7-0 run.
The second half mirrored the first, with FGCU coming out on fire but UNF countering every step of the way. The two teams remained tight until a 3-point basket from true freshman Caleb Catto at the 2:24 mark gave the Eagles a 78-73 lead. A massive dunk from Thomas on the next possession put an exclamation point on the victory, and the home team cruised the rest of the way.
FGCU led in rebounding (36-30), points off turnovers (18-16) and fast-break points (4-0).
Up Next:
The Eagles set sail on the road for a Wednesday contest against NJIT. The first meeting of the season between the two clubs will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 in Newark, New Jersey.
"I'm really proud of our team. I thought we played hard and competed all game. The players have been really good about listening to what we have been saying from a scouting standpoint in these last four games," FGCU coach Michael Fly said. "(North Florida is) a really good team. They've got guys like (Noah) Horchler and (Wajid) Aminu who combine for 47 points. Some of those guys have been playing together for three years now. That's big for us to be able to get a win against a veteran team that got us at their place."
"It was another hard fought game and tough loss," said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. "Proud of how the guys continue to battle, compete and persevere. Just have to continue working to be able to get those key stops and make the simple plays when we need it. We will get back to work tomorrow and prepare to play Kennesaw State on Wednesday night."
The victory for the Eagles avenges a loss from Jan. 12 in Jacksonville where the Ospreys defeated FGCU 87-66.
Redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir poured in 33 points, shooting 9 of 14 overall, 6 of 10 from 3-point range and 9 of 11 at the free-throw line.
True freshman Zach Scott contributed 14 points, and sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. added 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a block.
Classmate Brian Thomas registered 10 points and seven rebounds, and junior Christian Carlyle pumped up the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Junior Wajid Aminu scored 25 points for the visitors while fellow junior Noah Horchler added 22. Junior Ivan Gandia-Rosa was one assist shy of a double-double as he recorded 10 points and nine assists.
The Eagles shot 50 percent (32-for-64) from the field, 42.1 percent (8-for-19) from 3-point range and a season-best 88.9 percent (16-for-18) at the free-throw line. UNF shot 44.1 percent (30-for-68) overall, 39.4 percent (13-for-33) from deep and 70 percent (7-for-10) at the charity stripe.
The contest featured a whopping 15 lead changes, 11 of which came in the opening half. FGCU took an early 12-4 lead and later held a 16-9 advantage, but the visitors used an 8-0 run to swing momentum back into their favor. Neither team could separate any more than four points until the Eagles found themselves on top 45-37 with 2:43 left in the first. North Florida cut the gap to one, however, by ending the opening frame on a 7-0 run.
The second half mirrored the first, with FGCU coming out on fire but UNF countering every step of the way. The two teams remained tight until a 3-point basket from true freshman Caleb Catto at the 2:24 mark gave the Eagles a 78-73 lead. A massive dunk from Thomas on the next possession put an exclamation point on the victory, and the home team cruised the rest of the way.
FGCU led in rebounding (36-30), points off turnovers (18-16) and fast-break points (4-0).
Up Next:
The Eagles set sail on the road for a Wednesday contest against NJIT. The first meeting of the season between the two clubs will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 in Newark, New Jersey.
FGCU MBB vs UNF Preview
The FGCU men's basketball team is set to take on North Florida for the second time this season at 5 p.m. Jan. 27 inside Alico Arena. The Sunday contest will be a Whiteout and will be part of a doubleheader with the FGCU women. The game is being sponsored by Coconut Point Ford. The Eagles (7-14, 2-4 A-SUN) have won two of their last three games and dropped a close decision on the road to league favorite Lipscomb, while the Ospreys (9-13, 3-4 A-SUN) look to end a three-game losing skid.
Last Time Out:
FGCU suffered a close 89-81 setback to A-SUN Conference favorite Lipscomb Thursday night in Allen Arena. The Bisons had won their previous four games by an average of 21.5 points per game and had yet to yield 80 points to any A-SUN opponent this season.
The Eagles hung with the reigning champs and league-leading Bisons for all 40 minutes, and even held a lead with less than three minutes to play. The home side was able to hang on in the end, using a late 14-2 run to avoid the upset bid. FGCU actually outshot Lipscomb, finishing 28-for-59 (47.5 percent) from the field.
Offensively, redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir leads the Eagles with 13.3 points per game. Casimir had 14 points against Lipscomb.
Returning to the rotation, junior RaySean Scott Jr, who was sidelined with a leg injury, is averaging 8.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Scott Jr. had four points and seven rebounds against Lipscomb.
Junior Christian Carlyle is averaging 8.4 points per game. Carlyle had eight points and six assists.
Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius also comes into play for the Eagles. Mercurius is averaging 8.8 points per game. Mercurius came off the bench and scored 17 points against Lipscomb while going 4-for-5 at the 3-point line.
Junior Decardo Day has also been on key as far as assist-wise. Day is averaging 6.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. Against Lipscomb, the double transfer from Southern Utah and Iowa Western Community College had three 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 did not play against Lipscomb due to a concussion.
After coming back from injury, Thomas is averaging 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while also pulling away with 1.5 blocks per game. Thomas, who earned his third start of the season while filling in for Ernst after his concussion, had eight points and two block against Lipscomb.
Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. had 10 points against Lipscomb. The UNLV transfer is averaging 7.1 points and one block per game.
Ernst (12), Thomas (18) and Baxter Jr. (19) have a combined blocks 49 blocks.
Last Time Out:
FGCU suffered a close 89-81 setback to A-SUN Conference favorite Lipscomb Thursday night in Allen Arena. The Bisons had won their previous four games by an average of 21.5 points per game and had yet to yield 80 points to any A-SUN opponent this season.
The Eagles hung with the reigning champs and league-leading Bisons for all 40 minutes, and even held a lead with less than three minutes to play. The home side was able to hang on in the end, using a late 14-2 run to avoid the upset bid. FGCU actually outshot Lipscomb, finishing 28-for-59 (47.5 percent) from the field.
Offensively, redshirt senior Schadrac Casimir leads the Eagles with 13.3 points per game. Casimir had 14 points against Lipscomb.
Returning to the rotation, junior RaySean Scott Jr, who was sidelined with a leg injury, is averaging 8.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Scott Jr. had four points and seven rebounds against Lipscomb.
Junior Christian Carlyle is averaging 8.4 points per game. Carlyle had eight points and six assists.
Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius also comes into play for the Eagles. Mercurius is averaging 8.8 points per game. Mercurius came off the bench and scored 17 points against Lipscomb while going 4-for-5 at the 3-point line.
Junior Decardo Day has also been on key as far as assist-wise. Day is averaging 6.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. Against Lipscomb, the double transfer from Southern Utah and Iowa Western Community College had three 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 did not play against Lipscomb due to a concussion.
After coming back from injury, Thomas is averaging 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while also pulling away with 1.5 blocks per game. Thomas, who earned his third start of the season while filling in for Ernst after his concussion, had eight points and two block against Lipscomb.
Redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. had 10 points against Lipscomb. The UNLV transfer is averaging 7.1 points and one block per game.
Ernst (12), Thomas (18) and Baxter Jr. (19) have a combined blocks 49 blocks.
Scouting UNF:
After picking up wins in four out of five games, the Ospreys have lost its last three outings. Those have all been A-SUN matchups against Liberty, NJIT and Jacksonville. The Ospreys' three league triumphs have come at the hands of North Alabama, FGCU and Stetson.
UNF features leading scorer and rebounder junior Noah Horchler, who is averaging 15.7 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Fellow junior Garrett Sams (11.9 ppg) also averages double-digit scoring, while redshirt junior JT Escobar is third on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and sophomore Wajid Aminu is second in rebounding (10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg).
Junior Ivan Gandia-Rosa (11.0 ppg) gives the Ospreys five who are scoring in double figures.
Series History:
Sunday's matchup between FGCU and UNF will mark the 31st all-time meeting between the two programs, and the Green and Blue lead the series 17-13. This serves as the longest-tenured rivalry in Eagle history, and this is the only series that has been played at least 30 times. FGCU recently saw an eight-game win streak come to an end, as UNF defeated the Eagles on Jan. 12 in Jacksonville.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Dave Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB
UNF: @ospreymbb
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238818
Livestream Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/b284287a-32ee-4426-8e4a-c87ac6b5e363/north-florida-vs-florida-gulf-coast
After picking up wins in four out of five games, the Ospreys have lost its last three outings. Those have all been A-SUN matchups against Liberty, NJIT and Jacksonville. The Ospreys' three league triumphs have come at the hands of North Alabama, FGCU and Stetson.
UNF features leading scorer and rebounder junior Noah Horchler, who is averaging 15.7 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Fellow junior Garrett Sams (11.9 ppg) also averages double-digit scoring, while redshirt junior JT Escobar is third on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and sophomore Wajid Aminu is second in rebounding (10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg).
Junior Ivan Gandia-Rosa (11.0 ppg) gives the Ospreys five who are scoring in double figures.
Sunday's matchup between FGCU and UNF will mark the 31st all-time meeting between the two programs, and the Green and Blue lead the series 17-13. This serves as the longest-tenured rivalry in Eagle history, and this is the only series that has been played at least 30 times. FGCU recently saw an eight-game win streak come to an end, as UNF defeated the Eagles on Jan. 12 in Jacksonville.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on ESPN+. Commentary will be done by play-by-play commentator Dave Moulton and color commentator J. Webb Horton.
Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
FGCU: @FGCU_MBB
UNF: @ospreymbb
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 fee afterwards or can pay $39.99 per-year based on the viewers subscription choice.
Livestream Link: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/b284287a-32ee-4426-8e4a-c87ac6b5e363/north-florida-vs-florida-gulf-coast
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