DUNK CITY, Fla. – Potentially for the final time in their careers at Alico Arena, FGCU men's basketball (22-10) senior guards Brett Comer and Bernard Thompson posted 15 and 25 points, respectively, but it wasn't enough for the 2nd-seeded Eagles as Thompson's potential game-tying free throw missed with 1.4 seconds left, giving No. 3 USC Upstate (23-10) a 63-62 win in an Atlantic Sun Championship semifinal contest Thursday night.
 
With the loss, FGCU awaits its postseason fate next Sunday, Mar. 15, as the Eagles could play – and potentially host – a postseason game in the NIT, CBI (College Basketball Invitational) or CIT (CollegeInsider.com Tournament).
 
Trailing by three in the closing moments, Thompson (Conyers, Ga./Rockdale County HS) was fouled by A-Sun Player of the Year Ty Greene while shooting a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left. After making the first free throw, Upstate called its final timeout. Thompson stepped back to the line and calmly drilled the second free throw, but his third attempt was just long. Thompson finished with his second-highest scoring output of the season and first 20-point game since Nov. 25 against San Francisco.
 
Comer (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park HS) was FGCU's lone other double-figure scorer as the Eagles' orchestrator also issued seven assists. The seven helpers moved the A-Sun and FGCU career assist leader into 24th place on the all-time NCAA Division-I career assist list as he now has 838.
 
"First I'd like to congratulate Upstate," said FGCU head coach Joe Dooley. "It was a very good college basketball game, and they made some plays at the end to beat us. Our guys competed. We made some plays that we needed to make, but we didn't finish. They finished, and it's a disappointing loss for us."
 
Upstate raced out to a 10-0 lead before FGCU scored its first points at the 14:11 mark on a Comer elbow jumper. That helped spearhead an extended 18-7 run over the next seven minutes by the Eagles as a Marc-Eddy Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Olympia HS/Tulane) tip-in gave the Green and Blue its first lead of the night. The run eventually grew to as much as 23-7 as a Julian DeBose (Washington, D.C./St. John College HS/Rice) free throw pushed the Eagles ahead by six, 23-17, at the 5:37 mark. However, that would end up being tied for FGCU's largest lead of the evening.
 
Upstate closed the half on an extended run of its own, 10-2, and following a loose-ball situation under its own hoop which Upstate's Josh Cuthbertson converted for a layup at the buzzer, the Spartans took a 27-25 lead into the break.
 
After a slow start to the second half, a four-point play by Comer tied the game again at 30-30 and jumpstarted an 11-1 FGCU run which put the Eagles in front by six, 37-31, following a Norelia layup. However, the Spartans once again had an answer, and following a 17-4 run spanning seven minutes had built their largest lead of the second half, 48-41, with 8:41 remaining.
 
From there, Comer and Thompson scored FGCU's next 13 points which included another four-point play from Comer, and after a Thompson 3-pointer the Eagles had a 54-52 lead with 5:35 remaining. The two sides went punch-for-punch down the stretch, and following an offensive rebound and putback by Jamail Jones with less than a minute left, FGCU had reclaimed a 60-59 lead.
 
Jones (Atlanta, Ga./Montverde Academy/Marquette) was fouled on the play and had a chance to give FGCU a two-point lead, but his free throw missed. Upstate responded with a Michael Buchanan layup with 38 seconds left before Comer's 3-point effort with 11 seconds showing missed and went out of bounds off Thompson. Greene was fouled with 5.4 seconds remaining and made both free throws, setting up Thompson's potential game-tying 3-point attempt in which Greene was whistled for the foul.
 
Greene led the Spartans with 20 points – his season average – as he knocked down four of Upstate's six 3-pointers. ShunQuez Stephens tallied 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Spartans, who snapped a seven-game losing streak to FGCU and will play North Florida (22-11) for the A-Sun Championship on Sunday afternoon.
 
GAME NOTES: This is the first time in FGCU's four years of D-I postseason eligibility that the Eagles have not reached the A-Sun Tournament final game … Jones finished with six points and seven rebounds, while Norelia added six points and six rebounds … Thompson went 6-7 from the line … the rebounds were tied, 36-36 … FGCU committed just six turnovers, while Upstate had only eight … the Eagles shot 6-13 from 3-point range in the second half after going just 2-10 in the first half.
 
SOCIAL CENTRAL
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.
 
IT'S AWESOME, BABY
Dick Vitale held a book signing in the Alico Arena Auxiliary Gym on Feb. 25, but it's not too late for fans to still purchase autographed copies of his latest book: "It's Awesome Baby! 75 Years of Memories and a Lifetime of Opinions on the Game I Love" by clicking here or by calling 239-590-7060. All proceeds from the book will be donated to The V Foundation for children battling pediatric cancer.
 
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.