FORT MYERS, Fla. – It came down to the final minutes, but ultimately the FGCU men's basketball team (6-16, 4-5 ASUN) dropped a 56-54 heartbreaker to NJIT (7-13, 4-3 ASUN) on Saturday night at Alico Arena. While the Eagles were able to tie things up with as little as 1:46 left in the game, the Highlanders were able to hold off what would have been a comeback win.
 
Sophomore Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla.) led the Eagles with 21 points, an effort that was boosted by 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. He and junior Justus Rainwater (Enumclaw, Wash.) were the only Eagles that finished the night with double-digit points, as the center contributed 10.
 
"I thought tonight was a really competitive college basketball game and a tremendous atmosphere. I was really proud of how the guys came back after halftime particularly in how they disrupted Zack Cooks after he scored 21 points in the first half (scored four in the second)," said head coach Michael Fly. "I thought Zack and Caleb made some really big shots down the stretch to put us in position to win the game. Unfortunately, NJIT made some plays at the end and we didn't."
 
Though the Highlanders never trailed, they also never sat comfortably with a lead due to FGCU's persistence on the offensive end. NJIT's largest advantage of the night was a 12-point margin in the first half, which Catto and junior Jalen Warren (Milton, Ontario) chipped away at in the final minutes leading up to the break. With just 1:13 on the clock, Warren made a driving layup and had a successful trip to the charity stripe for an old-fashioned three-point play that trimmed the lead down to six as the teams went into the locker room.
 
The teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second half until Catto capitalized on an opponent turnover, feeding a pass to Rainwater that he immediately slammed down for a dunk that made it a 38-36 game. Moments later, a trey from Catto handed the Eagles their first tie of the night.
 
NJIT was able to pull away by as much as five, but a late three from sophomore Zach Scott (Miami, Fla.) knotted things back up at 54-apiece with 1:46 left on the clock. Cooks, who was limited to just four points in the second half after tallying 21 in the first, ultimately floated in a shot that proved to be the difference-maker as the clock ran down.
 
FGCU's slow start to the game prevented the team from making the heroic comeback down the stretch. After being out-scored 32-26 in the first half, the Eagles came back and held a 28-24 advantage in the second half. Throughout 40 minutes, they earned a 26-20 edge in points in the paint, a 10-5 lead in points off of turnovers and were favored 9-8 in bench points.
 
FGCU will now hit the road for a two-game swing that will feature matchups at Jacksonville (Jan. 30) and Liberty (Feb. 1). Both games will be streamed on ESPN +.
 
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. You can also sign-up to have news on FGCU men's basketball and other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.



BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
FGCU basketball tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale and can be purchased by contacting 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. 

E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
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 161-103 record (.609 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 12-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus 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 women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three 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-one 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.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--