KENNESAW, Ga. – Thanks to a blistering second half shooting performance and a career-high 26 points by sophomore Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla.), the FGCU men's basketball team (8-19, 5-7 ASUN) picked up a 70-58 road win at Kennesaw State (1-23, 0-11 ASUN) on Thursday night at the KSU Convocation Center.
 
Catto's 26 points marked his fourth 20-point game of the season. Fellow sophomore Zach Scott (Miami, Fla.) added 15 points and six rebounds, while junior Justus Rainwater (Enumclaw, Wash.) nearly had a double-double with 9 points and 12 rebounds.

"During the week, we talked a lot about how Kennesaw was really hungry for a win. We also talked about ourselves having that same mentality and playing desperate to win - I did not think we came out like that in the first half so it was really good to see the response in the second half," said head coach Michael Fly. "The guys did a great job of executing that last second play in the first half and that gave us some momentum going into the second." 
 
KSU was led by 22 points from Bryson Lockley who also had seven rebounds. Jamie Lewis added nine points as the Owls second-leading scorer.
 
Catto got the Eagles going in the second half scoring FGCU's first 12 points out of the break. Midway through the second stanza, behind a 14-to-4 run for the Eagles, FGCU built out a 52-43 lead at the 9:34 mark.
 
That proved enough of a pad thanks in part to a dominate 26-to-6 advantage on the glass.

"I thought being able to control the boards was huge for us - both Brian (Thomas) and Justus really gave us a physical presence tonight," said Fly. "When they play like that, we're hard to beat because of how they protect the rim and rebound on the defensive side. That allows us to push the ball in transition which is what we saw in the second half."
 
The Eagles finished the second half outscoring the Owls 44-31 behind Catto's 22 points. Overall, FGCU hit 17-of-29 from the floor including a blistering 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Scott added seven points in the second stanza, while junior Sam Gagliardi (Gig Harbor, Wash.) hit a pair of timely triples during the Eagles 14-to-4 run which broke open the game.
 
At the intermission, the Eagles trailed 27-26 thanks in part to a buzzer-beater by Scott. With 1.5 seconds to go, senior Tracy Hector (Riverdale, Ga.) threw a Hail Mary pass to junior Brian Thomas (Kennesaw, Ga.) at the FGCU three-point line. Thomas dropped a quick pass to Scott who drilled a three-pointer just as time expired pulling the Eagles within one.
 
The Eagles hit three of their first four field goals, but then went 1-of-9 from the floor allowing KSU to string together a 12-to-2 run. After back-to-back three-pointers for the Owls in that run, KSU led 18-11 at the 8:21 mark.
 
FGCU chipped away at the lead thanks to five quick points from Scott including a driving lay-up with 2:30 to go that tied the game 23-23.
 
Overall, the Eagles finished the night hitting 28-of-56 (50 percent) from the floor including 9-of-19 from deep. KSU hit 22-of-50 shots (44 percent) but were just 5-of-16 from beyond the arc.
 
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 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. 

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 163-105 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 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 2019 Fall semester 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--