DUNK CITY, Fla. – With a chance to take a stranglehold of the ASUN Conference regular-season race, the FGCU men's basketball team hosts Lipscomb on Thursday at 7 p.m. inside Alico Arena in a pivotal late-season 1st-place battle.
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Thursday is a Pink Out, with all fans in attendance encouraged to wear pink in conjunction with FGCU's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Winners of five in a row, FGCU enters the game in sole possession of 1st place in the ASUN at 8-1, while Lipscomb – riding a four-game winning streak – is 7-2 and in sole possession of 2nd place. If FGCU wins, the Eagles will have a 2-game lead over the Bisons and hold the tiebreaker with just four regular-season games remaining. FGCU's lone ASUN loss was a 62-60 decision against USC Upstate as the Spartans converted a last-second putback after the Eagles had erased an eight-point deficit in the closing minutes.
 
ASUN STANDINGS (By Current Tournament Seed)
1) FGCU: 8-1
2) Lipscomb: 7-2
3) North Florida: 5-4
4) USC Upstate: 5-4
5) Kennesaw State: 5-4
6) Jacksonville: 3-6
7) Stetson: 2-7
8) NJIT: 1-8
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
FGCU leads the nation in points in the paint at 42.4 per game, and is 4th in the country in field goal percentage at 51.2. The Eagles have out-scored each of their nine ASUN opponents in the paint so far this year, and have done so by a dominant average of 43 to 25 per game.
 
Helping fuel that low-post production for FGCU is a re-emergence of Dunk City as the Eagles are averaging 4.7 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 118 dunks this year, the most since that iconic 2012-13 squad slammed 148.
 
TWEETABLES
1) Marc-Eddy Norelia is three points shy of 1,000 for his career. He would become just the 7th player in program history to reach the milestone.
2) Brandon Goodwin was named the ASUN Newcomer of the Week for a fifth time on Monday – the first time in league history someone has won the award five times.
3) FGCU has held three-straight ASUN opponents below 60 points for the first time since 2012-13. The Eagles have never done that four times in a row.
4) A victory would give FGCU its 5th-straight 20-win season. FGCU is one of only 31 teams (out of 351 D-I programs) to have played in the postseason and won at least 20 games each of the past four years.
5) FGCU has three different winning streaks of five or more games in a single season for the first time in program history.
 
CONTRASTING STYLES
While FGCU has an advantage in the low blocks on Lipscomb, the Bisons – like most ASUN teams – present a formidable challenge from beyond the arc. Lipscomb ranks 4th in the nation in 3-pointers made with 264 (10 per game), and lead the country in free throws made (19 per game) and attempted (26 per game).
 
In FGCU's 84-80 win against Lipscomb last month, the Bisons went 12-33 from 3-point range compared with the Eagles' 5-15. Lipscomb also went 20-24 from the free-throw line, while FGCU went 19-28 from the charity stripe. However, FGCU dominated down low, finishing with a 40-20 edge in paint points – one of four ASUN opponents the Eagles have out-scored by at least 20 in the paint this year.
 
DEFENDING THE ARC
To win the ASUN in 2016-17, defending the 3-point line is imperative. Of the league's eight members, five rank in the top 40 in the nation in 3-pointers made, and two are in the top 5 (Lipscomb, Jacksonville).
 
FGCU's strength typically lies in its perimeter defense as the Eagles lead the ASUN in 3-point percentage defense overall, allowing opponents to connect at just a 31.3-percent clip. However, in ASUN games only, FGCU is 5th.
 
Just a couple weeks ago, FGCU was last in ASUN games in 3-point defense, but the Eagles have locked in the last four contests. Every single opponent shot better than 35 percent from distance against the Eagles during the first five ASUN games, but over the past four games FGCU has held every opponent below 35 percent.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Lipscomb Leads, 10-8
While Lipscomb leads the all-time series with FGCU, over the past 11 games FGCU holds a 7-4 edge. In 16 of the 18 meetings, FGCU has tallied more than 70 points, and in 13 of the 18 matchups both teams have recorded more than 70 points.
 
FGCU's .444 winning percentage against Lipscomb is the lowest among any current ASUN member, and one of just two teams it has a losing record against (Jacksonville, 10-11; .476). FGCU just defeated Jacksonville twice in a week, and will be looking to sweep JU and Lipscomb in the same regular season for the first time since 2011-12.
 
SCOUTING LIPSCOMB
^ Lipscomb's only other ASUN loss came at North Florida by a 90-84 margin a week after losing to the Eagles in Nashville in mid-January.
^ Garrison Mathews leads the Bisons offensively with 19.8 points per game. He paces a quartet of double-figure scorers as Josh Williams adds 13.8, Rob Marberry contributes 12.2 and Nathan Moran averages 10.7.
^ Lipscomb is just 1-9 when scoring fewer than 80 points, but 14-2 when scoring 80 or more. FGCU is holding opponents to a league-low 69.2 points per game – four points lower than any other team in the ASUN.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
FGCU is 70-13 (.843) at Alico Arena since the start of the 2012-13 season, including an 11-2 mark this year. In ASUN games, the Eagles have been even more dominant, posting a 32-4 (.888) mark against league foes in the regular season in that same timeframe.
 
GOODWIN NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
For the first time in ASUN history, a player has been named Newcomer of the Week five times, and that distinction now belongs to Goodwin (Norcross, Ga./UCF/Norcross HS). The redshirt junior scored a game- and season-high 29 points last Monday against North Florida and followed it up with a game-best 24 points at Jacksonville on Saturday to lead FGCU to a pair of wins. Goodwin averaged 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4 assists over the course of the two contests.
 
RECORD-SETTING NUMBERS
FGCU is averaging 79.6 points per game, which would be a single-season D-I program record – more than 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 36.9 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 51.2-percent clip from the floor would also be the best all-time, and its rebound margin of +6.4 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). Already 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 (14 – includes 3 ties): 29
Demetris Morant (3): 25
Zach Johnson (4 – includes 2 ties): 24
Rayjon Tucker: 23
Marc-Eddy Norelia (1): 21
Christian Terrell (4): 20
Christian Carlyle: 19
Antravious Simmons (2 – includes 1 tie): 18
RaySean Scott Jr.: 14
Kevin Mickle: 13
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Of FGCU's 13 D-I non-conference opponents this year, seven rank inside the top-105 in the RPI. FGCU is currently 81 in the RPI – the only ASUN team in the top 175. The Eagles have already played three top-50 RPI opponents (Baylor (1), Florida (8) and Michigan State (49)) and four more ranked from 51-105 (UT Arlington (57), La Salle (95) and twice against Georgia Southern (103)). FGCU is 2-2 against that group with a win over UT Arlington, a narrow road loss to La Salle (84-80), and a win and a loss against Georgia Southern.
 
FGCU was down just one point with under 3 minutes to play at previously #1-ranked Baylor before falling short, 81-72, lost to #17-ranked 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 #20-ranked Saint Mary's – convincingly, 85-72. Additionally, FGCU controversially lost, 78-77, at Michigan State (more info page 23).
 
ROAD WARRIORS
FGCU is 8-3 on the road this year, and a perfect 5-0 in ASUN contests. The Eagles have won seven in a row away from home, tied for the 4th-longest streak in the nation (Belmont, 9 straight). FGCU has already tied its program record for the most road ASUN wins in a single season (done multiple times), and has tied for the most road victories overall in a single campaign (2002-03).
 
ASUN RANKINGS
Several FGCU players rank among the top-10 performers in the ASUN:
 
Points Per Game
Brandon Goodwin: 7th, 17.2
 
Rebounds Per Game
Demetris Morant: 4th, 8.2
 
Assists Per Game
Brandon Goodwin: 2nd, 4.1
Zach Johnson: 10th, 3.2
 
Blocks Per Game
Demetris Morant: 1st, 1.7
 
Field Goal Percentage
Demetris Morant: 1st, .752
Brandon Goodwin: 7th, .531
 
Free Throw Percentage
Brandon Goodwin: 8th, .798
 
3-Point Percentage
Christian Terrell: 10th, .396
 
Assist/Turnover Ratio
Christian Terrell: 4th, 2.2
Reggie Reid: 7th, 2.0
 
MARC-EDDY NORELIA
Redshirt senior Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Tulane/Olympia HS) – who missed the first four games of the year with a broken left (shooting hand) before playing the next seven games – returned to the FGCU lineup on Jan. 12 after missing the previous six games due to personal reasons. He came off the bench against Kennesaw State, scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed six rebounds in 25 minutes. He followed it up with a 14-point, 8-rebound performance in 30 minutes off the bench two days later at Lipscomb, and has played in every game since.
 
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. 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, redshirt sophomore Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) 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 25 games of the season, Goodwin as totaled 430 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 25 games this year, Goodwin has 154 made field goals – just four 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, 25.1 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: 63-4 (.940)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 48-4 (.923)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 68-13 (.840)
Scoring Between 70-79 Points: 51-11 (.823)
Scoring At Least 80 Points: 35-4 (.897)
 
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.
 
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 has the 2nd-most wins among D-I schools in the state of Florida (entering games on Feb. 8):
 
1) Florida: 92
2) FGCU: 84
    Miami: 84
4) Florida State: 78
5) North Florida: 72
6) Jacksonville: 53
7) UCF: 52
8) FIU: 49
9) Stetson: 40
10) Bethune-Cookman: 38
11) USF: 36
12) FAU: 35
13) Florida A&M: 29
 
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). 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. 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 Joe Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 36 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.
 
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.
 
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. With both the men's and women's teams having 19 victories already this year, the Eagles are positioned to make that five-straight seasons.
 
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 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: 21-14, 8-6 ASUN (T-2nd)
2016-17: 19-6, 8-1 ASUN (1st)
D-I Total: 164-154, 87-80 ASUN
Last 4+ Years: 110-55, 54-19 ASUN
 
NEXT UP
FGCU will conclude its weekend homestand during a Homecoming contest against Kennesaw State (11-14, 5-4) on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. As part of the Homecoming Weekend, several former men's basketball players will be returning to campus and partake in an Alumni Game at Alico Arena at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, which the public is welcomed to attend.
 
A complete list of those returning will be announced later in the week, but the list is scheduled to include Julian DeBose '16, Eddie Murray '13 and Nate Hicks '15.

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 141-96 (.595), and in his 3+ years with FGCU is 84-44 (.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.