SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Having seized control of the ASUN Conference regular-season title race, the FGCU men's basketball team looks to take the next step toward a championship Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Eagles face USC Upstate looking to extract revenge for a last-second loss last month.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
FGCU won at NJIT Thursday, while Lipscomb dropped a home contest to North Florida. The results broke a tie atop the ASUN standings, propelling the Eagles into sole possession of 1st place – one game clear of Lipscomb with just two regular-season contests remaining as the Eagles now control their own destiny.
 
ASUN STANDINGS (By Current Tournament Seed; Remaining Games)
1) FGCU: 10-2; @ USC Upstate, vs. Stetson
2) Lipscomb: 9-3; vs. Jacksonville, @ Kennesaw State
3) USC Upstate: 7-5; vs. FGCU, @ NJIT
4) North Florida: 7-5; @ Kennesaw State, vs. Jacksonville
5) Kennesaw State: 6-6; vs. North Florida, vs. Lipscomb
6) Jacksonville: 5-7; @ Lipscomb, @ North Florida
7) Stetson: 3-9; @ NJIT, @ FGCU
8) NJIT: 1-11; vs. Stetson, vs. USC Upstate
 
FGCU's magic number to clinch its first-ever outright ASUN regular-season championship is 2 – any combination of FGCU wins or Lipscomb losses totaling two will give the Eagles the No. 1 seed in the ASUN Championship. FGCU shared its only other ASUN regular-season title in 2013-14 with former league member Mercer as both teams went 14-4. The top seed in the ASUN Championship receives home-court advantage throughout the tournament, which gets underway in just more than a week.
 
FGCU has already clinched an ASUN Championship quarterfinal game for the 5th-straight season, and that contest will be played at Alico Arena on Monday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. Additionally, FGCU has also assured itself of no worse than a top-2 finish, meaning it will host a semifinal contest on Thursday, Mar. 2, at 7 p.m. if it wins the quarterfinal matchup.
 
Tickets are on sale now for the quarterfinal game, and with a sellout crowd expected, fans are encouraged to secure their seats in advance by visiting FGCUTickets.com, stopping by the Alico Arena Ticket Office during normal business hours (and this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.) or by calling 239-590-7145. The ASUN Championship Final on ESPN is set for Sunday, Mar. 5, at the highest remaining seed at 3 p.m.
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
FGCU currently has the 3rd-longest road winning streak in the nation as the Eagles have rattled off eight in a row, with only Vermont's nine-game run and #1 and unbeaten Gonzaga's 10-game stretch being better.
 
The Eagles are a program-best 6-0 on the road in the ASUN this year, having surpassed the previous single-season record for wins of five. FGCU will be looking to become the first ASUN institution to go undefeated on the road in conference action since former league member Samford went 8-0 in 1998-99.
 
Overall, FGCU is also a program-best 9-3 away from Alico Arena this year, with all three losses coming by single digits at former #1 Baylor (81-72), then-#13 Michigan State (78-77) and top-105 RPI La Salle (84-80). The previous single-season program record for away victories was eight, set by the inaugural 2002-03 team.
 
TWEETABLES
1) With a victory, FGCU will set its Division-I regular-season win record of 22, breaking the previous mark of 21 set in 2012-13 and again in 2014-15.
2) FGCU has secured five-straight 20-win seasons, the only school in Florida to accomplish that and the first ASUN institution since former member College of Charleston from 1993-98.
3) ASUN Player of the Year candidate Brandon Goodwin is the only player in the conference averaging at least 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in league games.
4) FGCU had a program record-tying stretch of holding five-straight opponents to 65 points or fewer snapped in its 80-73 win at NJIT Thursday.
5) Following called timeouts this year, FGCU ranks 4th in the nation in points per possession after that timeout at 1.059 (leader: UCLA, 1.083).
 
EMPHASIS IN THE PAINT
FGCU continues to lead the nation in points in the paint at 41.5 per game (2nd: Kentucky, 41), and is 4th in the country in field goal percentage at 50.6. The Eagles have out-scored 11 of their 12 ASUN opponents in the paint so far this year, and have done so by a dominant average of 41 to 27 per game. In their matchup last month, FGCU finished with a 38-18 edge in the paint over Upstate.
 
Helping fuel that low-post production for FGCU is a re-emergence of Dunk City as the Eagles are averaging 4.6 dunks per game, surpassing the average of 4 per game thrown down by the original Dunk City Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13. The Eagles already have 130 dunks this year, the most since that iconic 2012-13 squad slammed 148.
 
EARLIER THIS YEAR vs. USC UPSTATE
FGCU erased an eight-point deficit in the final 3+ minutes, took the lead, but eventually fell just short as USC Upstate's Michael Buchanan converted a game-winning layup off an offensive rebound with 1.9 seconds to play to hand the Eagles a 62-60 loss on Jan. 19.
 
Trailing 54-46 with just more than 3:30 to play in the game, the Eagles made a furious 90-second charge, going on a 10-0 run to take a 56-54 lead following a steal and dunk by Zach Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS). However, Upstate hit a crucial 3-pointer on its ensuing possession to go back ahead, and followed it up with another 3-pointer with just over a minute left to take a 60-56 lead.
 
Unfazed, FGCU again responded, and on a pair of Johnson free throws with 17.6 seconds remaining tied the game at 60-60. That set up a final offensive possession for the Spartans. The Eagles got the initial stop, but Buchanan grabbed the rebound and converted the putback to give FGCU what was then just its fourth home regular-season loss to an ASUN opponent since 2012-13.
 
SCOUTING USC UPSTATE
^ FGCU (42.3) and USC Upstate (43.1) rank 1st and 2nd in the ASUN in field goal percentage defense. That 43.1-percent average by the Spartans is exactly what they held the Eagles to in their win last month.
^ The Eagles and Spartans also rank 1st and 2nd in the ASUN in rebound margin, with FGCU at +5.7 and Upstate at +3.1. FGCU finished +5 on the glass, 38-33, in the first meeting this year.
^ Three-time ASUN Player of the Week Buchanan paces Upstate with 15.4 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per contest. The 7-footer will be one of two Spartans honored on Senior Night, with the other being Josh Cuthbertson who averages 7.9 points and a team-best 3.5 assists.
^ USC Upstate has attempted the 7th-most 3-pointers in the nation (744) and has made the 17th-most (262). The Spartans also rank 3rd in the country in total rebounds (1,148) and lead the conference at 39.6 per outing.
 
SERIES HISTORY: FGCU Leads, 14-6
Despite dropping the first matchup this year, FGCU has won eight of the last 10 meetings overall against USC Upstate. In Spartanburg, the Eagles have won four in a row on Upstate's home floor dating back to the 2011-12 season. However, all four of those wins have come by seven points or fewer.
 
COACHING CONNECTION
Upstate is led by head coach Eddie Payne, who is in his 15th season with the Spartans and has a long history with FGCU head coach Joe Dooley. Dooley and Payne were both assistants at South Carolina from 1988-91 before Dooley served as Payne's assistant once he accepted the head coaching job at East Carolina from 1991-95. Dooley then took over for Payne as ECU's head coach from 1995-99 following Payne's departure to take the head coaching job at Oregon State.
 
AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE
FGCU has won 20 or more games for the last five years, and in each of the first four it has played in the postseason – something likely to occur again this season. By having played in the postseason and having won 20 or more games each of the previous four years, FGCU is one of just 31 teams in the nation (out of 351 D-I programs) to have accomplished that feat.
 
Additionally, the FGCU women's basketball team (21-7 this year) has won 20 or more games each of the past five years (13 in a row overall). FGCU is one of only eight schools in the nation that has had their men's and women's basketball teams win at least 20 games each of the past four years: Duke, Louisville, Kentucky, Baylor, Connecticut, BYU and Saint Mary's. So far this season, only Duke, Baylor and Louisville have been able to stretch that mark to five-consecutive seasons along with FGCU.
 
RECORD-SETTING NUMBERS
FGCU is averaging 78.8 points per game, which would be a single-season D-I program record – nearly two points better than last year's record of 77.2, and way more than the 72.9 averaged by the Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13.
 
The Eagles are shooting 36.1 percent from 3-point range, which is just shy of the best single-season mark in program history (37.4 in 2011-12). FGCU's 50.6-percent clip from the floor would also be the best all-time, and its rebound margin of +5.7 would be the best in the D-I era.
 
#DEPTHCITY
Last year, FGCU had 10 different players reach double-figure points in a game (tied for the 3rd-most in the nation). This year, the Eagles have again had 10 players reach double-figure points (Reggie Reid: 9-point game). Below is a list of players who have scored 10 or more points in a game, how many times they have led (or tied) the team in scoring and their season high.
 
Brandon Goodwin (16 – includes 3 ties): 29
Demetris Morant (3): 25
Zach Johnson (4 – includes 2 ties): 24
Rayjon Tucker: 23
Marc-Eddy Norelia (2): 21
Christian Terrell (4): 20
Christian Carlyle: 19
Antravious Simmons (2 – includes 1 tie): 18
RaySean Scott Jr.: 14
Kevin Mickle: 13
 
PLAYER QUICK HITS
0 Brandon Goodwin: Is the first player in ASUN history to win the league's Newcomer of the Week five times (Nov. 21, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Jan. 30 and Feb. 6). The conference started issuing the award in 2011-12.
11 Christian Terrell: Record six assists against no turnovers at NJIT – the third time this year he's recorded at least six assists without giving the ball away.
21 Demetris Morant: Is nearly averaging a double-double in ASUN action with 12.2 points and 9.2 rebounds.
25 Marc-Eddy Norelia: Became the 7th member of the program's 1,000-point club last Thursday against Lipscomb. The redshirt senior now has 1,025 career points.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Of FGCU's 13 D-I non-conference opponents this year, four are in the top 50 of the RPI (Baylor (1), Florida (9), Michigan State (42) and UT Arlington (44)), and seven are inside the top 125 (La Salle (104) and Georgia Southern (125) twice). FGCU is currently 93 in the RPI – the only ASUN team in the top 175.
 
FGCU was down just one point with under 3 minutes to play at previously #1-ranked Baylor before falling short, 81-72, lost to current #13 Florida despite holding a five-point lead with 15 minutes remaining and overcame a double-figure 2nd-half deficit to defeat UT Arlington – one of only two teams (#1 Gonzaga) to have beaten #21 Saint Mary's – convincingly, 85-72. Additionally, FGCU controversially lost, 78-77, at then-#13 Michigan State (more info later in this release).
 
ASUN RANKINGS
Several FGCU players rank among the top-10 performers in the ASUN:
 
Points Per Game
Brandon Goodwin: 7th, 17.6
 
Rebounds Per Game
Demetris Morant: 4th, 8.2
 
Assists Per Game
Brandon Goodwin: 3rd, 3.9
 
Blocks Per Game
Demetris Morant: 1st, 1.6
 
Field Goal Percentage
Demetris Morant: 1st, .749
Brandon Goodwin: 8th, .521
 
Free Throw Percentage
Brandon Goodwin: 8th, .783
 
Assist/Turnover Ratio
Christian Terrell: 3rd, 2.4
Reggie Reid: 6th, 2.0
 
MARC-EDDY NORELIA
Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Tulane/Olympia HS) missed the first four games of the year with a broken left (shooting hand) before playing the next seven games. He then missed the next six games for personal reasons. Norelia did not travel with the team or partake in practice from Dec. 14-28, but rejoined practice on Dec. 29. He sat on the bench versus Florida Tech on Dec. 31, but did not dress; did dress at Stetson on Jan. 7; returned on Jan. 12 at Kennesaw State. The forward is a Preseason All-ASUN Conference selection and team's leading returning scorer (17.1) and rebounder (9.3) from a season ago.
 
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, Norelia was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Conference Team, Johnson was also a preseason team pick and redshirt senior Morant (Miami, Fla./UNLV/Bishop Gorman HS) was tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
YOUTHFUL EAGLES
FGCU is getting the job done again this year with a youthful group as 80 percent of its total points, 70 percent of its rebounds and 93 percent of its assists have come from non-seniors.
 
ON RECORD PACE
Through the first 28 games of the season, Goodwin (Norcross, Ga./UCF/Norcross HS) has totaled 494 points – 31 more than what Norelia had at the same juncture last year when he set the program's single-season scoring record with 597 points.
 
Norelia also set the single-season program record with 234 made field goals last year. Through 28 games this year, Goodwin has 176 made field goals – just three fewer than what Norelia had at the same juncture last season.
 
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, 24.6 percent of FGCU's total points have come off 3-pointers.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
FGCU has the following records under the direction of Dooley:
 
Leading At The Half: 64-4 (.941)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 48-5 (.905)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 68-14 (.829)
Scoring Between 70-79 Points: 52-11 (.825)
Scoring At Least 80 Points: 36-4 (.900)
 
RE-TWEETS
1) 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).
2) The Eagles posted D-I program records in points (120), field goals made (47), field goal percentage (67.1), assists (29) and win margin (60) in its 120-60 victory over NAIA member Ave Maria on Nov. 29.
3) Morant pulled down the 4th-most rebounds in single-game D-I program history (most in a regulation game) with 17 against Georgia Southern on Dec. 13.
4) The 11 non-conference wins were the most in program history, and the three 100+ point games already marks the first time in single-season D-I history that has occurred.
5) FGCU had two separate 4+ game winning streaks in D-I non-conference history for the first time.
6) FGCU has already won three games by one point for the first time in a single season, and it has had a record four games decided by a single point already this year.
7) Incredibly, all 15 of FGCU's players has a positive plus/minus ratio, and every scholarship player is at least +25 on the year.
8) The Eagles' first four ASUN games were decided by a total of 10 points – the smallest differential for a four-game stretch at any point in program history.
9) FGCU has had three different winning streaks of five or more games in a single season for the first time in program history.
 
FLORIDA NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
During its game against Florida National on Dec. 22, FGCU set a single-game D-I program record with 30 assists (tied again a game later versus Florida Tech), and matched a record with 68 points in the paint set earlier this year versus Ave Maria. Additionally, FGCU's 107 points were the 3rd-most in the program's D-I era and 2nd-most in a regulation game. The Eagles also connected at a 66.7-percent clip (44-66) from the floor, the 2nd-best performance in a game in D-I program history.
 
MOST WINS IN FLORIDA
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, FGCU is tied for the 2nd-most wins among D-I schools in the state of Florida (entering games on Feb. 17):
 
1) Florida: 94
2) FGCU: 86
     Miami: 86
4) Florida State: 79
5) North Florida: 74
6) Jacksonville: 55
7) UCF: 53
8) FIU: 50
9) Stetson: 41
10) Bethune-Cookman: 38
11) USF: 37
12) FAU: 35
13) Florida A&M: 30
 
FGCU is the only D-I team in the state of Florida which has posted four-straight 20-win seasons (five-consecutive for the Eagles). 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.
 
GAME-WINNERS THIS YEAR
FGCU has already hit four game-winning shots this year in the final 35 seconds. The first came on Nov. 25 when Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) hit a contested layup with 2.4 seconds left in overtime to give the Eagles a 68-67 win against Long Beach State.
 
The second came on Dec. 20 when Goodwin hit a floater in the paint with 12 seconds remaining to hand FGCU a 79-78 win at Louisiana Tech. LA Tech entered the contest with a dominant record of 71-2 at home since February of 2012 – with the .973 winning percentage over that time being the best in the nation.
 
Goodwin then hit three free throws with .6 of a second left to give the Eagles an 89-88 win at Stetson at Jan. 7. FGCU trailed by eight points with just under 70 seconds remaining before mounting an incredible comeback.
 
The most recent game-winning effort came on Jan. 25 when Goodwin again won it for the Eagles, knocking down a baseline 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to break an 80-80 tie at North Florida en route to an 86-82 triumph.
 
LOCKING IN ON D
Since Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 35 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. This year, the Eagles are again leading the ASUN, holding opponents to just 69 points per game – more than five points better than any other league member.
 
RECAPPING MICHIGAN STATE
With 1.6 seconds remaining in a 78-77 game on Nov. 20 at Michigan State, Terrell threw an in-bounds pass from under the Spartans' basket to 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.
 
The head referee Bo Boroski, Big Ten officials, ASUN 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.
 
ANOTHER DANCE?
^ FGCU posted a record 31-point win, 96-65, in the First Four last March over fellow 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
^ The Eagles will be looking for their 5th 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.
 
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.
 
BAHAMIAN SUMMER
FGCU spent Aug. 5-10 of last summer 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).
 
THE GROWTH OF FGCU
After starting their D-I transition with five-straight losing seasons, the Eagles have now posted five-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: 21-14, 8-6 ASUN (T-2nd)
2016-17: 21-7, 10-2 ASUN (1st)
D-I Total: 166-155, 89-81 ASUN
Last 4+ Years: 112-56, 56-20 ASUN
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
FGCU is 71-14 (.835) at Alico Arena since the start of the 2012-13 season, including a 12-3 mark this year. In ASUN games, the Eagles have been even more dominant, posting a 33-5 (.868) mark against league foes in the regular season in that same timeframe.
 
NEXT UP
FGCU will return home for a Senior Night affair with Stetson on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m.

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 143-97 (.596), and in his 3+ years with FGCU is 86-45 (.656).
 
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.