FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's basketball team looks to remain unbeaten among in-state foes this Wednesday when the Eagles head across Alligator Alley to FIU for a 7 PM tip-off. The game will be streamed live on CUSA.tv from the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
The Eagles enter the game with a 2-8 overall record, while FIU sits at 5-3 having won four of its last five.
The trip represents the shortest of the year for FGCU which has racked up the frequent flyer mileage so far this season thanks to trips to Saint Louis, up the Eastern Seaboard to Dartmouth and with an upcoming cross-country trip to Southern California.
FGCU is also coming off its longest home stand of the year, four, thanks to three consecutive games for the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Eagles picked up their second win of the season last Tuesday over Florida Tech before falling to North Dakota, Campbell and Georgia Southern over the weekend.
Overall, FIU holds a 6-5 advantage in the series including a 4-2 mark in Miami. The Panthers won last year's meeting on Nov. 28 at Alico Arena on a three-pointer by Brian Beard, Jr., with 14 seconds left in regulation. The Eagles had two chances in the final seconds to win the game, but each shot was narrowly off the mark. The last road win for FGCU in the series was 84-76 on Dec. 6, 2015.
Junior
Zach Scott (Miami, Fla.) will make his hometown return as the Eagles' leading scorer this year averaging 12.2 points per game. Fellow sophomore
Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla.) is second on the team at 10.6 points, while junior
Jalen Warren (Milton, Ontario) is just behind with 9.1 points per night.
The Panthers are coming off a 70-69 win over New Hampshire last Saturday. In the last five games, FIU has wins over Cleveland State, Eastern Kentucky, Keiser, and UNH with a loss to UNC Wilmington.
Devon Andrews leads FIU with 17.8 points per game followed by Osasumwen Osaghae who is averaging 13.1 points. Antonio Daye, Jr., is third on the team with a 9.9 point per game average.
Following the trip, FGCU will return home this Saturday night to host Robert Morris at Alico Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7 PM and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. It will be Star Wars night for fans in attendance as well as a Blue Out. FGCU will also continue its collection of new, unwrapped toys which will be donated to Golisano's Childrens Hospital and Toys For Tots in time for the holidays.
Tickets are on sale now, but limited, and can be purchased by visiting the Alico Arena Box Office, going online to www.FGCUAthletics.com or calling 239-590-7145.
For complete coverage of FGCU men's basketball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MBB and online at
www.FGCUAthletics.com.
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.
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 157-95 record (.628 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 in
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).
#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.
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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