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FORT MYERS, Fla. - After a thrilling win over Jacksonville on Thursday night, the FGCU men's basketball team stays on the road for a Saturday night tilt at Liberty (7 PM, ESPN+). The Eagles moved into a tie for fifth in the ASUN standings, while Liberty remains tied for first despite having lost two of its last three.
Sophomore
Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla.) and junior
Jalen Warren led the Eagles in Thursday's win at Jacksonville. Catto posted his third straight 20-point performance, while Warren notched 18 points, 12 in the second half, including the game-winner with six seconds left in regulation.
Following a tough non-conference slate, FGCU began to find its rhthym in the new year and the start of ASUN play. The Eagles won three of their first five including two straight at Stetson and over KSU. Narrow losses at North Alabama and against NJIT hurt the Eagles, but a win at Jacksonville moved FGCU into a tie for fifth in the ASUN standings.
After a hot start to ASUN play, Catto has taken over as the team's leader in season scoring. He is now averaging 12.3 points per game overall and 16.0 points in league games.
Sophomore
Zach Scott (Miami, Fla.) is just behind Catto with 10.9 points per night. Along with
Jalen Warren's 9.8 points per outing, the trio's 759 combined points account for half of the team's 1,423 points.
Warren's 83 assists on the season are the second-most of any other player in the ASUN. Scott's name also pops up in the league rankings leading the ASUN in total steals (35).Â
As a team, the Eagles lead the league with an average of 4.0 blocks per game. Both freshman
Dakota Rivers (Windermere, Fla.) and junior
Justus Rainwater (Enumclaw, Wash.) have spearheaded that effort, combining for a total of 58 blocks, the most of any duo in the conference. Individually, both are tied for fourth in the league with 29 each highlighted by 5 blocks for Rivers against Kennesaw State.Â
Through eight ASUN games, Catto and Warren lead FGCU with 16.0 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.
Liberty enters Saturday's match-up coming off an 83-45 win over Kennesaw State on Thursday. The Flames won the first meeting in Fort Myers against FGCU, 59-46, to start ASUN play. Caleb Homesley leads Liberty with 12.2 points per game followed by Scottie James who is averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per night. Georgie Pacheo-Ortiz and Darius McGhee are each averaging just under 10 points per game as well.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LIBERTY
• This is just the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools with Liberty holding a 3-0 advantage. The Flames won last year's meeting at the Vines Center, 74-67.Â
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.Â
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAMÂ 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.Â
Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
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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 162-103 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 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 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.
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--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--
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