FGCU Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 3	Florida National (2-7) at FGCU (1-1)
Date // Time	Saturday, Dec. 5 // 7 p.m.
Location	Fort Myers, Fla. // Alico Arena
Promotion	Blue Out | Food Drive
Live Statistics	Stat Broadcast
Watch Online	ESPN+
Game Notes	FGCU Notes
Tickets	www.FGCUTickets.com // Call: 866-FGCU-TIX
Twitter	@FGCU_MBB // @FGCUEagles
Instagram	FGCU Men's Basketball
Facebook	FGCU Men's Basketball
NCAA Whistle No. 1 - This episode focuses on hand-checking/body bumping the ball handler.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off a tough road loss at USF, the FGCU men's basketball team looks to bounce back on Saturday night in the friendly confines of Alico Arena against Florida National. Tip-off against the Conquistadors is set for 7 PM and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Single-game tickets, along with several mini-plan packages, are on sale now through the Alico Arena Ticket Office. Fans are encouraged to order tickets online through www.FGCUTickets.com or by calling 866-FGCU-TIX. FGCU is using mobile ticketing this year as part of its COVID-19 protocols so please check www.FGCUTickets.com for complete details or call the ticket office to speak with a customer service representative.
 
In Wednesday's game against the Bulls, which was officially scheduled 72 hours prior to tip, USF used an 18-4 opening run in the game to hold off the Eagles. FGCU (1-1) managed to trim the deficit to single digits multiple times through the game, but could not sustain the momentum late in the second half falling 76-57. Senior Jalen Warren (Milton, Ontario/Eastern Florida State) scored 15 points, while sophomore Cyrus Largie (Miramar, Fla./Mater Lakes Academy) tied his career-high with 12 points and added six rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Franco Miller, Jr. (Freeport, Bahamas/Ole Miss), posted 10 points highlighted by three three-pointers and graduate Eli Abaev (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Austin Peay) had a game-high 10 rebounds to round out the Eagles' top performers.
 
Florida National (2-7) has lost four games heading into a Thursday night contest at Florida Atlantic prior to Saturday's trip to Fort Myers. The NAIA program is led by Jeffrey Hernandez and Kenneth Santos who are averaging 22.1 and 21.1 points, respectively. Jose Benitez is the other top scorer for the Conquistadors at 14.4 points per game.
 
For the Eagles, Warren leads FGCU in scoring after just two games with an 11.0 point average as he's connecting on nearly 53 percent of his shot attempts. Miller has been a boost in the scoring column at 9.5 points per game and is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc early in the season. Both Largie and sophomore Dakota Rivers (Windermere, Fla./Windermere HS) are chipping in 8.5 points per night, while Abaev is averaging a team-best seven rebounds.

This will be the second-ever meeting between the Eagles and the Conquistadors. The teams' first matchup was during the  2016 season, when FGCU downed Florida National by a score of 107-50 in Alico Arena. The Green & Blue's scoring effort from that contest ranks ninth all-time in the program's single-game records. However, the 30 team assists that the Eagles racked up during that outing are in a three-way tie for the most in any game.  

 
UPCOMING ASUN SCHEDULE:
Friday, Dec. 4
Kennesaw State at No. 9 Creighton - 5 PM
Jacksonville at Georgia - 7 PM
Bellarmine at No. 6 Duke - 7 PM
Stetson at Miami - 8 PM
 
Saturday, Dec. 5
North Florida at High Point - 2 PM
Bluefield College at Liberty - 2 PM
Lipscomb at Arkansas - 6 PM
Florida National at FGCU - 7 PM

Sunday, Dec. 6
Stetson at Florida - 2 PM
Carver vs. North Alabama - 3 PM
Bellarmine at Howard - 6 PM
 
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.

SUSTAINING FLIGHT 
To help offset the financial impact of COVID-19, FGCU Athletics has launched the Sustaining Flight Fundraiser and Auction. The fundraising campaign will help mitigate operational revenue loss and the additional expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 protocols. All funds raised during the campaign will go to support areas that directly impact student-athletes.
 
In lieu of hosting the annual Night at the Nest gala this year, one of FGCU's most successful fundraising events, the department will be hosting a virtual, online auction from Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4. Fans and supporters will be able to bid on exclusive memorabilia, trip packages, unique event experiences and more. For more information, visit www.fgcuathletics.com/sustainingflight. 
 
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 165-109 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 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 82 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 38 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 (No. 24, 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 (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. 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--