JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – A 16-to-6 second half run for the Gamecocks proved the difference maker as Jacksonville State defeated the FGCU men's basketball team 79-71 on Saturday evening at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Eagles fall to 12-8 overall and 2-4 in the ASUN, while JSU, which leads the West Division, improves to 12-6 overall and 5-0 in league play.
 
"I thought we got off to a great start tonight and we really defended well in the first half where JSU had a hard time finding shots. Unfortunately, they got a little bit of a run before halftime," said head coach Michael Fly. "We had good numbers overall, but, unfortunately, the 17 turnovers led to 20 points. That was the difference in the game. We just need to work through a few issues, but I've got full confidence in this team as we look ahead."
 
Kevin Samuel [Codrington Village, Barbuda/Redemption HS (Texas)/TCU] led the Green and Blue overall with his eighth double-double of the year. He finished the night with 16 points (8-of-11), 11 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals. The five blocks extend his single-season record to 57 which also now ranks as the 10^th most for a career at FGCU.
 
Tavian Dunn-Martin (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington HS/Akron/Duquesne) led the Eagles in scoring with 17 points while handing out a game-high eight assists. Cyrus Largie (Miramar, Fla./Mater Lakes Academy) had 10 points, while Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) added nine to round out the top scorers.
 
JSU was led by Demaree King who had a game-high 20 points and Darian Adams who scored 18 points. The duo sparked the Gamecocks from beyond the arc as they combined to hit six of JSU's nine three pointers. Brandon Huffman had 10 rebounds and narrowly missed a double-double with nine points.
 
FGCU hit 11 three pointers in the game including five in the final four minutes of play. Turnovers played a key role in the game as JSU scored 20 points off 17 Eagles' miscues.
 
The Green and Blue led for much of the first half including by as many as eight, 17-9, at the 14:21 mark. A six-point run for JSU tied the game at 26-26, but FGCU scored five straight capped by a Samuel lay-up with 4:21 to go.
 
The Gamecocks closed the half on a 14-to-4 run, including back-to-back three pointers in the final 75 seconds, to take a 40-35 lead into the intermission.
 
The Eagles stayed within five for the first four minutes of the second half, but JSU used a 16-to-6 run over a five-minute stretch to take a 62-47 lead at the midway point.
 
With 5:25 remaining, FGCU began to cut away at the lead. A five-point spurt by Dunn-Martin sparked a 13-to-4 run for the Eagles to cut the deficit to single digits with 40 seconds remaining. JSU converted a three-point play on the next possession, but a Matt Halvorsen (Kingsport, Tenn./Christ School/Western Carolina) three made the score 77-68 with 25 seconds to go. After two more JSU free throws, Dunn-Martin hit a three pointer with 16 seconds remaining to give the final score.
 
The Eagles will continue their crossover divisional play this week starting Thursday, Jan. 27 against Eastern Kentucky as part of a doubleheader with the No. 21 women's team. The men's game will start at 5 PM, while the women will tip at 7:30 PM. Both games will be streamed live 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.

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 201-141 record (.585 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 87 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 43 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 25, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, 2020 Fall, and 2021 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. 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--