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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off a seven-day break for the holidays, the FGCU men's basketball team closes out its non-conference slate with a cross-country trip to Southern California on Sunday night (7 PM PT/10 PM ET). The match-up against the Trojans and former Eagles head coach Andy Enfield will be available via the PAC-12 Network.
FGCU picked up an 84-62 win over St. Thomas prior to a seven-day break between games for the holidays. The win snapped a six-game losing skid for the Eagles and improved FGCU to 3-5 this season at Alico Arena. Three players reached double-figures in the win paced by 19 from
Zach Scott.
Jalen Warren had 16 points along with six rebounds and four assists, while
Caleb Catto added 15 points.
Of the Eagles' 11 loses this season, a total of five have been decided by six-or-fewer points (1-4) for FGCU - reflective of a mostly new roster.
As a team, the Eagles rank among the top three in the ASUN for 12 different statistical categories. FGCU leads the league in total steals (95), steals per game (6.8), total blocked shots (65), and blocked shots per game (4.6). Defensively, the Eagles rank third in the ASUN in points allowed per game (69.5), but have struggled offensively with 61.1 points per outing which ranks seventh in the league.
Individually, Scott leads the league in total steals (26), Warren ranks third in total assists (46),
Dakota Rivers leads the league in total blocks (22), and
Justus Rainwater ranks seventh in total rebounds (94).
Scott continues to lead the Eagles offensively, averaging 12.4 points per game. He has contributed double-digit points in all but five games. He is followed closely by Catto (10.4 ppg) and Warren (9.2 ppg). The trio has combined for 448 points, over half of the team's 856 total this year.
Warren and Catto have also done a great job of sharing the rock. Warren leads the team with 46 assists, while Catto has contributed 36.
Opponents have had a hard time shooting over bigs
Justus Rainwater and
Dakota Rivers, as the duo has combined for 42 blocks this year. Rivers is averaging 1.57 blocks per game, the 12th-most of any freshman in the nation.
USC enters the game with a 10-2 overall record including four consecutive wins and a 5-1 home record. The only home loss of the year came against Temple (70-61) on Nov. 22. A trio of Trojans are averaging double-figures led by Onyeka Okongwu's 17.7 points per game. Jonah Matthews is second on the team at 12.6 per night, while Nick Rakocevic is averaging 12.0 points. Okongwu also leads USC in rebounding with 9.0 boards per game.
This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools with USC visiting Alico Arena next season. It will also mark the first time the Eagles have faced their former bench boss Andy Enfield who led FGCU to the magical Sweet Sixteen run of 2013. Enfield, who has close ties to current head coach
Michael Fly and assistant coach
Joey Cantens, finished his two seasons in Fort Myers with a 41-28 overall record.
For complete coverage of FGCU men's basketball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MBB and online atÂ
www.FGCUAthletics.com.Â
BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
FGCU basketball tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale now including single-game tickets and the popular mini-plan options. For more information, contact an FGCU Ticket Office representative by calling 239-590-7145, visiting Alico Arena Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or by visiting www.FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets.Â
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COACH FLY
Michael Fly was introduced as the fourth FGCU men's basketball head coach on April 5, 2018. He had spent the previous seven years as an assistant coach on the Eagles' staff. In his time with the Eagles, he helped FGCU to a 158-98 record (.618 winning percentage), including six ASUN Tournament Final appearances, three NCAA Tournament victories, three ASUN Tournament titles and three ASUN Regular Season Championships, two berths in the NIT, a CIT appearance and a run to the Sweet 16. He has coached 13 all-conference selections while with the Green and Blue, including two ASUN Player of the Year honors in Sherwood Brown and Brandon Goodwin, two ASUN Defensive Player of the Year selections in Bernard Thompson and Demetris Morant and one ASUN Newcomer of the Year inÂ
Schadrac Casimir. Of the top-10 players in career points at FGCU, Fly has helped develop eight of them, including all-time leading scorer Thompson (1,835). Additionally, the Kentucky alumnus has coached both the ASUN all-time assists leader Brett Comer (845; 24th in NCAA history) and FGCU all-time leading rebounder Chase Fieler (714).
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#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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.
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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as two of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
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