STILLWATER, Okla. – Despite another spirited late-game comeback, the 7th-seeded FGCU men's basketball team (23-12) had its 2017-18 season come to a close Tuesday night in the NIT First Round at 2nd-seeded Oklahoma State (20-14), falling 80-68.
 
Zach Johnson scored a game-high 23 points, and Brandon Goodwin broke his own single-season program record for points as he netted 18 in the contest and finished with 632 for year.
 
The Eagles held the Big 12 Conference member to just 35.6 percent from the floor (21-59), but couldn't overcome a drastic disparity at the free-throw line. The Cowboys marched to the line 41 times compared with FGCU's 18, and Oklahoma State made 32 of those while the Eagles connected on 12.
 
FGCU started the 4th quarter (the NIT is using experimental rules this year in an attempt to potentially in the future conform more with the international and NBA game) down by 17, 60-43, but the Eagles – as they've done often this year – made another late charge.
 
FGCU scored the first seven points of the quarter in only 40 seconds, and cut the margin to six, 62-56, only three minutes into the period as the Green and Blue commenced the session on a 13-2 run and prompted an Oklahoma State timeout.
 
However, the Cowboys would respond with six-straight points to go up 12. But the Eagles once again showed their resiliency and cut the Oklahoma State lead to seven, 70-63, with just over four minutes showing, but could get no closer the rest of the night.
 
"First off, I want to congratulate Oklahoma State on a hard-fought game," stated FGCU head coach Joe Dooley. "I want to complement our guys for not folding – which they haven't done all year. We put ourselves in some bad situations, but we fought out of them like we usually do. We had some stretches where we played really well, but we also had some stretches where we put ourselves in harm's way and they took advantage of it."
 
In addition to Goodwin's (Norcross, Ga./UCF/Norcross HS) record performance – which surpassed the 629 he had last year – the Eagles as a team set single-season records during the contest for 3-pointers made (254; previous: 251 in 2011-12) and established the D-I single-season mark for assists (535; previous: 527 last year).
 
Back to Tuesday, neither team executed well on the offensive end in the 1st quarter as the Eagles held the Cowboys to just 33 percent from the floor (5-15) while connecting at only a 31-percent clip (4-13) of their own. However, FGCU trailed by just three after 10 minutes, 14-11, as the Green and Blue dispersed their scoring across five different players.
 
Plagued by foul trouble as early as the beginning stages of the 2nd quarter, FGCU had two low-post players and arguably its best 3-point shooter on the bench. That, combined with the Eagles' ultimately committing 12 1st-half turnovers and surrendering eight offensive rebounds, allowed Oklahoma State to create a 14-point lead before Goodwin drilled a half-court shot as the opening 20 minutes expired.
 
The Cowboys took a 37-26 lead into the halftime break despite FGCU connecting at a 55-percent rate (6-11) in the 2nd quarter while holding Oklahoma State to 33 percent (6-18). The Cowboys went to the free-throw line 14 times (made 11) in the 1st half, compared with FGCU's 2-4 mark from the charity stripe.
 
Oklahoma State opened up its largest lead of the night at 18 late in the 3rd, and the Cowboys took the aforementioned 60-43 lead into the 4th before the Eagles made their comeback attempt.
 
Jeffrey Carroll led all Oklahoma State scorers with 18 – 12 of which came from the free-throw line – while Mitchell Solomon and Tavarius Shine each had 13 and Lindy Waters netted 10. The Cowboys out-rebounded the Eagles, 48-38, including a 13-7 edge on the offensive end, but it only resulted in a 7-1 second-chance point advantage for the hosts.
 
Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) finished the year with 23 or more points in three of the final four games. Goodwin – who led FGCU in points, rebounds and assists this year – paced the Eagles with five assists on Tuesday and added six rebounds.
 
Playing his final collegiate game, Christian Terrell scored nine points on 3-4 from long range, while collecting four rebounds. Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) finished his four-year career with the Green and Blue as the only player in program history with 1,300 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists.
 
Also suiting up for the last time with FGCU was Antravious Simmons (Miami, Fla./VCU/South Miami HS) as the redshirt senior closed out his three years with the Eagles with six points and a rebound. Walk-on and fellow redshirt senior Joshua Ko (Kailua, H.I./Pittsburgh/Kalaheo HS) also had his collegiate career come to a close.
 
FGCU – which had its seven-game road winning streak snapped – was making its sixth-straight postseason appearance in only seven years of eligibility, as the Eagles have posted at least 20 wins in each of those campaigns.
 
Oklahoma State was considered by many the biggest NCAA Tournament snub as the Cowboys were left out of the 68-team field despite defeating NCAA participants Kansas (twice), West Virginia, Florida State, Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma.
 
The NIT this year features experimental rules, which most notably on Tuesday included a wider paint, extended 3-point line and the aforementioned quarters rather than halves.
 
SOCIAL CENTRAL
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COACH DOOLEY
FGCU is led by head coach Joe Dooley, who completed his 5th season with the Eagles in 2017-18 and has coached 10 all-conference selections in that time. He has led FGCU to 20 win seasons and postseason appearances in all five years: 2014 NIT; 2015 CIT; 2016 NCAA; 2017 NCAA; 2018 NIT. Dooley was named the 2017 and 2018 ASUN Coach of the Year, in addition to the 2017 NABC District 3 Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a D-I program record 26 wins. In nine seasons overall as a head coach, Dooley has a record of 171-110 (.608), and in his five years with FGCU is 114-58 (.663). 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 visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.