DUNK CITY, Fla. – Looking for its third-straight win, the FGCU men's basketball team welcomes local NAIA member Ave Maria to Alico Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff Tuesday night.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
^ After defeating its second opponent already this year ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 last Friday, FGCU moved up to #19 in the poll on Monday. The Eagles have claimed victories over Long Beach State (then #19; 68-67) and UT Arlington (then #5; 85-72).
^ FGCU has played the 25th-hardest schedule in the nation so far this year. In addition to the two mid-major ranked wins, the Eagles have played games against Florida (now #24 in the AP Top 25), at Baylor (now AP #9) and at Michigan State (then AP #13). Against the Bears, it was a one-possession game with less than 2 minutes remaining before the Eagles fell short, 81-72, and versus the Spartans, FGCU controversially came up one point short, 78-77 (more info later in this release).
^ In total, five of FGCU's first six games of the year have come against teams which won at least 20 games a season ago and played in the postseason.
 
TWEETABLES
1) The game against Ave Maria will not count toward FGCU's official RPI, but all other statistics, including the result, are officially recognized.
2) FGCU is 5-0 all-time versus Ave Maria, including a 91-34 victory exactly one year ago at The Nest.
3) Christian Terrell hit his first career game-winning shot (high school or college) with 2.4 seconds remaining in overtime Friday against Long Beach State.
4) FGCU held Long Beach State to 38.5-percent shooting from the floor (25-65). In Dooley's 3+ years with FGCU, the Eagles are now 40-4 (.909) when holding an opponent below 40 percent.
5) Leading returning scorer (17.1 PPG) and rebounder (9.3 RPG) Marc-Eddy Norelia scored 10 points in his second game back from a broken hand last Friday.
 
SCOUTING AVE MARIA
^ Ave Maria University is an NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school which competes in the Sun Conference and has an enrollment of roughly 1,000.
^ Founded in 2003, the university moved to its permanent campus in Ave Maria (20 minutes east of Naples) in 2007.
^ FGCU will be the third-straight NCAA Division-I opponent for Ave Maria. The Gyrenes lost to Binghamton last Tuesday, 95-77, before falling to FIU, 89-72, on Wednesday.
^ Deonte Dixon leads the Gyrenes with 22.2 points per game, one of four double-figure scorers for Ave Maria.
^ TeJai Allen, a former FGCU walk-on during the 2014-15 season, is second on AMU with 15.6 points per game and grabs a team-best 6.8 rebounds per contest.
 
HOME SUCCESS
FGCU is 62-11 (.849) at Alico Arena since 2012-13. The Eagles are 3-0 at home so far this year, went 16-4 last year, 13-4 in 2014-15, 15-2 in 2013-14 and 15-1 in 2012-13.
 
Versus ASUN foes during the regular season since 2012-13, FGCU is 29-3 at The Nest. The Green and Blue had won 21 straight regular-season games at Alico Arena against ASUN competition before losing to North Florida in the home regular-season finale at 2014-15.
 
3-POINT IMPROVEMENT
Last year, just 20 percent of FGCU's total points came from 3-pointers – ranking 344th in the nation out of 351 D-I teams – as the Eagles shot 35.3 percent from long range. So far this season, 33 percent of FGCU's total points have come off 3-pointers as the Eagles are shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
 
FGCU opened the year with four-straight performances of 40 percent or better from the 3-point line – the first time at any point of a season that has occurred in the program's non-conference history against D-I opponents. It was just the fourth time ever that FGCU had posted four-straight games of at least 40-percent shooting from 3 (2011-12, 2013-14 and 2014-15).
 
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Of FGCU's 13 D-I non-conference opponents this season, seven finished last year ranked in the top 130 of the RPI, and three were in the top 50. All seven of those teams won at least 20 games and made postseason appearances in 2015-16.
 
The Eagles started the year with a challenging stretch of four-straight opponents which last year won at least 20 games and played in the postseason:
 
vs. RV Florida: 21-15; 45 RPI; NIT
UT Arlington: 24-11; 107 RPI; CIT
@ Baylor: 22-12; 27 RPI; NCAA
@ #13 Michigan State: 29-6; 12 RPI; NCAA
Total: 96-44; 48 Avg. RPI; 4 Postseason Appearances
 
FGCU posted its largest comeback in the program's D-I era against UT Arlington on Nov. 16 as the Eagles erased a 16-point deficit (one shy of matching the all-time mark set in 2005-06).
 
After Ave Maria, the Eagles travel for a Sunday game at Georgia Southern, which last week was receiving votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. FGCU then returns to The Nest for its sixth D-I opponent through the first eight games of the year which last year won at least 20 games and played in the postseason. Siena – receiving votes in the mid-major poll – visits Alico on Dec. 9.
 
MOST WINS IN FLORIDA
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, FGCU has the 3rd-most wins among D-I schools in the state of Florida (entering games on Nov. 28):
 
1) Florida: 79
2) Miami: 73
3) FGCU: 68
4) North Florida: 65
5) Florida State: 63
6) FIU: 47
7) Jacksonville: 43
8) UCF: 41
9) Bethune-Cookman: 35
10) Stetson: 33
11) USF: 32
12) FAU: 29
13) Florida A&M: 25
 
As FGCU has moved among some of the preeminent teams in the state, it has done so with Florida talent. Of returning team members from last year's squad, Florida natives were responsible for 68 percent of FGCU's points and 70 percent of the Green and Blue's rebounds.
 
LOADED RETURNING GROUP
FGCU returns 83 percent of its points, 87 percent of its rebounds and 86 percent of its assists this season after losing just two players to graduation last year.
 
ASUN PRESEASON FAVORITES | Complete Poll And Teams
The Eagles received six of eight 1st-place votes in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and garnered 62 points to finish 12 ahead of 2nd-place North Florida, which collected the other two 1st-place votes. NJIT was picked 3rd, just three points behind the Ospreys, while Lipscomb was slotted 4th. Stetson, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State and USC Upstate rounded out the poll in spots 5-8, respectively.
 
In addition to the team honor, redshirt senior Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Tulane/Olympia HS) was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Conference Team, redshirt sophomore Zach Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) was also a preseason team pick and redshirt senior Demetris Morant (Miami, Fla./UNLV/Bishop Gorman HS) was tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
ANOTHER DANCE?
^ FGCU is installed as the preseason ASUN favorites, predicted to return to the NCAA Tournament where it posted a record 31-point win, 96-65, in the First Four this past March over fellow 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
^ The Eagles will be looking for their fifth postseason appearance in only six years of D-I eligibility: 2013 NCAA, 2014 NIT, 2015 CIT, 2016 NCAA. FGCU is believed to be the only D-I team in NCAA history to make four postseason appearances in its first five years of eligibility.
 
RECAPPING MICHIGAN STATE
With 1.6 seconds remaining in a 78-77 game last Sunday night at Michigan State, Terrell (Jackonsville, Fla./Providence HS) threw an in-bounds pass from under the Spartans' basket to Antravious Simmons (Miami, Fla./VCU/South Miami HS) at the FGCU free throw line. However, despite the ball not being touched by any player, the game clock hit zero just as Simmons touched the ball.
 
The play was designed for him to take a dribble and attempt a game-winning layup, but when he heard the horn as soon as he caught the ball – after time had already expired – he threw the ball toward the basket and did not make the shot.
 
FGCU coaches were told by the referees that the play could not be reviewed with video to see if the clock started early, and only to see the time related to a made or missed shot. However, on pages 101 and 102 of the official NCAA Men's Basketball Rule Book for 2015-16 and 2016-17 (Rule 11-C-2), the rule appears to state that video replay could have been utilized to correct a timing mistake:
 
"Determine whether the shot clock malfunctioned or a timing mistake occurred in failing to properly start, stop, set or reset the shot clock" (shot and game clock are the same with less than 30 seconds remaining).
 
The head referee Bo Boroski, Big Ten officials, ASUN Conference officials and FGCU Athletics officials all issued statements regarding the incident, with the Big Ten acknowledging an on-court official started the clock too early; however, the final score of 78-77 would remain.
 
View all statements by clicking here.
 
RECAPPING 2015-16: 21-15 Overall; 8-6 ASUN, T-2nd
^ FGCU finished tied for 2nd in the ASUN with Jacksonville and NJIT at 8-6, but earned the 4th seed in the conference tournament.
^ The Eagles defeated 5th-seeded Kennesaw State at home in the quarterfinals, 74-64, went on the road and destroyed top-seeded North Florida, 89-56, and won the title at home against 7th-seeded Stetson in overtime, 80-78.
^ The ASUN Championship was the second for FGCU in four years. The Eagles have played in the title game in four of the five seasons they've been D-I postseason eligible.
^ FGCU received a 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and played the opening game of March Madness in the First Four against Fairleigh Dickinson, posting the aforementioned record 31-point win, 96-65.
^ The Eagles went on to face top seed and eventual national-runner up North Carolina and trailed by just one point at halftime before falling, 83-67, in Raleigh. The one-point halftime margin was the smallest lead the Tar Heels had at intermission all NCAA Tournament.
 
POSTSEASON NUMBERS
With the win over FDU, FGCU secured its third NCAA Tournament victory in four years. The Eagles are the only current ASUN member which has won an NCAA Tournament game, and are responsible for three of the league's seven all-time NCAA Tournament victories, dating back to the ASUN's initial appearance in March Madness in 1981.
 
Additionally, FGCU is one of only two teams all-time with three wins in just five NCAA Tournament contests, with the other being Cleveland State. The only schools with more than three NCAA victories all-time have played at least nine games to get those four wins.
 
IN THE TOP 10 PERCENT
FGCU is one of just 31 teams in the nation to have won at least 20 games and played in the postseason each of the last four years, ranking the Eagles among the top-10 percent of clubs in the nation (351 D-I teams).
 
Furthermore, FGCU is one of just eight schools in the country to have its men's and women's teams win at least 20 games in four-straight seasons: Duke, Louisville, Kentucky, BYU, Baylor, UConn and Saint Mary's.
 
BAHAMIAN SUMMER
FGCU spent Aug. 5-10 at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, playing three exhibition games and bonding as a team off the court. The Eagles won their three games by scores of 92-89, 113-58 and 87-69. In their first game, because of foul trouble and an injury-shortened bench, the Green and Blue finished the contest with just three players (watch).
 
PAINT EMPHASIS
Since Dooley has taken over the FGCU program, the Eagles have had a big emphasis on scoring in the paint. In addition to finishing last year ranked 4th in the nation by having 61.1 percent of its total points last year coming off 2-point baskets, the Eagles scored 50 paint points or more on four occasions last year. In FGCU's entire pre-D-I era (2002-07), that happened just two times. FGCU out-scored its opponent in the paint 26 times last year, including 19 of its final 22 games.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
FGCU has the following records under the direction of Dooley:
 
Leading At The Half: 51-4 (.927)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 40-4 (.909)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 57-11 (.838)
Scoring Between 70-79 Points: 45-11 (.804)
Scoring At Least 80 Points: 26-3 (.897)
 
MORE NUMBERS
The Eagles scored 80 or more points last year 16 times. In Dooley's first two years at the helm, FGCU reached that mark just 12 times total. They overcame two 2nd-half double-digit deficits in the same season for the first time in program history. Additionally, the 58 points scored off the bench on Nov. 23 against Bowling Green were the most in the program's D-I history.
 
RE-TWEETS
1) FGCU is the only D-I team in the state of Florida which has posted three-straight 20-win seasons (four-consecutive for the Eagles).
2) FGCU set D-I single-season program records last year in points per game (77.2), rebounds per game (40.6) and field-goal percentage (47.9).
3) The Eagles played five overtime games last year, setting a single-season program record. In its entire pre-D-I history, FGCU played three total OT contests.
4) Ten times last season FGCU had a game decided by five points or less. The Eagles were 6-4 in such games.
 
THE GROWTH OF FGCU
After starting their D-I transition with five-straight losing seasons, the Eagles have now posted four-consecutive 20-win seasons. After not finishing higher than 6th place in the ASUN the first five years, FGCU has finished no worse than a tie for 2nd each of the past four seasons.
 
2007-08: 10-21, 6-10 ASUN (T-8th)
2008-09: 11-20, 7-13 ASUN (9th)
2009-10: 8-21, 5-15 ASUN (T-10th)
2010-11: 10-20, 7-13 ASUN (7th)
2011-12: 15-17, 8-10 ASUN (T-6th)
2012-13: 26-11, 13-5 ASUN (2nd)
2013-14: 22-13, 14-4 ASUN (T-1st)
2014-15: 22-11, 11-3 ASUN (2nd)
2015-16: 21-13, 8-6 ASUN (T-2nd)
2016-17: 3-3, 0-0 ASUN
D-I Total: 148-151, 79-79 ASUN
Last 4 Years: 94-52, 46-18 ASUN
 
NATIONAL RANKS
FGCU finished in the top 25 in the nation in a trio of key categories last year: 3-point percentage defense (12th, 30.4), rebounds per game (14th, 40.6) and field-goal percentage (23rd, 47.9).
 
RECORD-SETTING SEASONS
Norelia broke the program's single-season double-double record last year with 16. He established program single-season records in points (597), rebounds (325) and field goals made (234). Norelia led FGCU in scoring and rebounding, ranking 6th in the ASUN in points per game, 2nd in rebounds per game and 4th in field-goal percentage (54.5).
 
Johnson established the program's single-season record for points by a freshman with 387. He came on strong after the turn of the calendar to 2016 as the scoring point guard totaled 65 percent (252 of 387) of his points after conference play began.
 
LOCKING IN ON D
Since Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 30 teams to 60 points or fewer. The Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13 held 13 opponents to 60 points or fewer, but prior to that – in five seasons of D-I history – FGCU teams had only held opponents to 60 points or fewer 20 times.
 
The Eagles have led the ASUN in scoring defense in two of Dooley's three years with FGCU and finished 2nd in the other season.
 
PROTECTING THE ROCK
FGCU set the single-season program record with nine games of single-digit turnovers last year, surpassing the previous record of eight from 2014-15. Eight single-digit turnover games is exactly how many the Eagles had in their entire pre-D-I history. In 2013-14, FGCU had six single-digit turnover games. Under Dooley, the Eagles have posted 23 of the program's 29 single-digit turnover games in the D-I era.
 
#DEPTHCITY
FGCU had 10 different players reach double-figure points in a game last year. The only teams in the nation with more were Boston University (12) and Georgia Southern (11) – which FGCU will play on Dec. 4 and 13. Below is a list of returning players who scored 10 or more points in a game, their season high and how many times they led (or tied) the team in scoring.
 
Norelia (18 – includes a tie): 34
Johnson (5 – includes two ties): 26
Terrell (9 – includes a tie): 25
Simmons (1): 21
Rayjon Tucker (1): 19
Reggie Reid: 18
Kevin Mickle: 14
Morant: 12
 
In a further testament to the youthful and talented group, Johnson led ASUN freshmen in assists per game (3.3) and finished 3rd among league freshmen in scoring (11.1), Terrell was 2nd among ASUN sophomores in points per game (12.7), Simmons paced ASUN sophomores in rebounds per game (5.2) and Norelia was 2nd among conference juniors in rebounds per contest (9.3).
 
ASUN SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2012-13 season, FGCU boasts a 46-18 (.719) record in ASUN regular-season games – six more wins than any other team in the league (North Florida, 40).
 
NEXT UP
FGCU will begin the first swing of a home-and-home series this year with Georgia Southern on Sunday, Dec. 4. Georgia Southern is 3-3 on the year entering a game at Savannah State Thursday night. GS is coming off consecutive wins over Florida A&M and Radford. FGCU and GS will then meet again at Alico Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

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, Like us on Facebook at /FGCUMBB and watch us on Snapchat at FGCU_MBB.
 
COACH DOOLEY 
FGCU is led by head coach Joe Dooley, who is in his 4th season with the Eagles in 2016-17 and has coached eight all-conference selections over his first three campaigns. Dooley guided FGCU to a 4th-straight 20-win season and 4th-consecutive postseason appearance in 2015-16 as the Eagles claimed the ASUN Tournament Championship and won their First Four NCAA Tournament game in 31-point record-setting fashion. He led FGCU to its first ASUN Regular-Season Championship and first trip to the NIT in 2014, and in 2015 he led the Eagles to a berth in the CIT. 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. Dooley is in his 8th season overall as a head coach and has a record of 125-93 (.573), and in his 3+ years with FGCU is 68-41 (.624).
 
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 visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.