CINCINNATI – Bernard Thompson and Julian DeBose each scored 17 points and Brett Comer eclipsed 700 assists for his career, but it wasn't enough for the FGCU men's basketball team (9-4) to overcome host Xavier (9-3) Sunday afternoon as the Musketeers earned a 71-57 victory at the Cintas Center.
 
The Eagles held Xavier to its third-lowest scoring output of the season as the nation's 11th-most efficient offense was stymied in the second half. However, the FGCU offense connected at just 37 percent from the floor (20-54) as the Green and Blue have now dropped consecutive regular-season games for the first time in more than a year.
 
After not hitting a shot and scoring just two points off a pair of free throws in the first half, Thompson (Conyers, Ga./Rockdale County HS) exploded for 15 second-half points with the help of four 3-pointers. DeBose (Washington, D.C./St. John College HS/Rice) kept FGCU afloat in the first half where he scored 12 of his season-high point total.
 
Comer (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park HS) just missed what would have been his sixth double-figure assist performance of the season with a game-high nine assists – more than double anyone else on the floor. His first dish of the contest came on an alley-oop to Demetris Morant (Miami, Fla./Bishop Gorman HS/UNLV) on the first possession of the game, an assist which gave the NCAA active leader 700 for his career.
 
Trailing by as much as 17 in the second half, FGCU fought back and cut the deficit to single digits, 52-43, with 11:33 remaining following an 8-0 run. The Musketeers – who lead the BIG EAST in six offensive categories – responded and build their lead back up to 16, 63-47, with 6 minutes left before the Eagles again made a surge compliments of an 8-2 run which cut the advantage down to 10, 65-55, with 2:30 showing. However, despite limiting Xavier to just 35.7-percent shooting in the second half (10-28), FGCU dropped its first game following a brief Christmas break.
 
"Xavier can score in a lot of different ways. Early in the game they beat us in transition, then they went inside a little bit," said FGCU head coach Joe Dooley. "We turned the ball over uncharacteristically in some situations and they took advantage of those. We dug ourselves a hole, especially in the first half, which we could never overcome. But we had some chances to get back in the game and we had some good stretches and did some things I think we can build on."
 
FGCU entered the game averaging just 12.5 turnovers per game, but nine first-half giveaways led to 13 points for Xavier – which had a 14-point halftime advantage, 43-29. For the game the Eagles had 16 giveaways – tied for the second most this year – but limited the hurt in the second half as the Musketeers were only able to convert seven turnovers into one point.
 
The Eagles' bench – which averages 23 points per game and six more than its opponents – finished with a season-low eight points – the first time this year the bench has not contributed double-figure points.
 
After allowing Xavier to shoot 50 percent in the first half from the floor (18-36), FGCU forced the Musketeers to finish at 43.8 percent for the game (28-64). The percentage is nearly eight below Xavier's season average (51.6), while FGCU also held the Musketeers 12 points below their season average of 82.7 points.
 
For the second game in a row Thompson led FGCU in rebounding as the guard grabbed a season-high-tying seven as the Eagles matched the Musketeers on the glass, 37-37. DeBose added six caroms, a total which was equaled by Marc-Eddy Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Olympia HS/Tulane).

FGCU was again without the services of redshirt senior Jamail Jones (Atlanta, Ga./Montverde Academy/Marquette) as the combo guard served the third of a six-game suspension for a violation of team rules. Jones averaged 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
 
FGCU will continue an extremely challenging three-game road trip with a quick turnaround as the Eagles will travel to Pittsburgh on Monday and then play the Panthers (9-3) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The contest will be shown on ESPN3 as FGCU will play its third-straight top-80 RPI opponent on the road (Iona: 80; Xavier: 68; Pittsburgh: 79). FGCU is back at home on Friday, Jan. 2, when it hosts Ave Maria at 7 p.m. in its final non-conference home game.
 
GAME NOTES: Comer finished with seven points and five rebounds … Thompson recorded his ninth multi-steal game of the year with two thefts … FGCU shot 50 percent from 3-point range for the second-straight game (8-16) … the attendance was listed as 9,908 (capacity: 10,250) … Xavier shot just 1-7 from 3-point range in the second half after going 5-9 in the first half … the Musketeers are the fourth-straight opponent to shoot better than 40 percent from the floor against FGCU, something which occurred just once through the first nine games of the season … the last two-game regular-season losing streak occurred Dec. 17 and 19 of last season at USF and Mississippi State, respectively.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
General-admission tickets for all FGCU men's basketball games at Alico Arena are still available and can be purchased by logging on to FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets, in person at the Alico Arena Ticket Office or over the phone at 239-590-7145. For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the men's basketball program, follow @FGCU_MBB on Twitter and Instagram, and "Like" us on Facebook at /FGCUMBB.
 
COACH DOOLEY 
FGCU is led by second-year head coach Joe Dooley, who coached three all-conference selections during his first season and guided FGCU to its first Atlantic Sun Conference Regular-Season Championship and first trip to the NIT. Prior to arriving in SWFL, Dooley spent 10 seasons as an assistant at Kansas under head coach Bill Self. During those 10 seasons, Kansas produced 300 wins, nine straight Big 12 regular-season titles, six Big 12 Tournament championships, six NCAA Sweet 16s, five NCAA Elite Eight appearances and two Final Fours, including the 2008 National Championship.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visitwww.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.