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Season Stats: FGCU | Georgia Southern

FORT MYERS, Fla. – After a whole week without a game, the FGCU men's basketball team (5-2) returns to action Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. Tip-off from Hanner Fieldhouse is set for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be telecast on ESPN+. Both Eagles programs have two wins in the series with FGCU winning the only previous meeting in Statesboro, 85-82, in December 2016.
 
FGCU rolled to its first Gulf Coast Showcase title last week, downing Northern Kentucky 82-61 in the opener, outlasting Drexel 67-59 in the semifinals and besting Kansas City 73-59 in the title game. Senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after averaging 17.0 points per game, including a career-high 27 in the semifinal. Junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) earned a spot on the all-tournament team and recorded his first career double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in the title game. 
 
In the wake of winning the Gulf Coast Showcase, FGCU was recognized as one of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy's Top 3 Upward Risers since opening day – moving up 97 spots in the KenPom ratings to No. 161 overall. 
 
"We look forward to the challenge of continuing our process of improvement with this tough non-conference schedule," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "Preparing our guys to play a tough team on the road is a good thing – and this stretch with Georgia Southern on the road, then FIU at home, FAU on the road, and Mercer at home is a real test for us. Playing difficult road games like this helps us prepare and is a benefit for us when we start ASUN play." 
 
Thompson leads the Green & Blue in scoring at 13.9 points per game with junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) close behind at 13.7 points per game. Sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond) is the team's top rebounder with 7.5 per game and he collected 11 boards in each of the three Gulf Coast Classic games. Anderson has a 12.7 points-per-game scoring average, good for third on the team, and is second behind Weir with 7.3 rebounds per contest. 
 
FGCU ranks first among ASUN teams in free throws made (93), free throws attempted (120) and free-throw percentage (77.5). The Eagles also sport the third-best ASUN defense in field-goal percentage allowed (40.7). Anderson ranks fourth among all ASUN players with his 55.0 percent 3-point shooting percentage. Johnston had 11 steals in the three Gulf Coast Showcase games and leads the ASUN with 17 for the 23rd-best individual total in the country.
 
Georgia Southern (4-3) is riding a three-game winning streak – picking up two wins against Houston Christian and Western Michigan in Rice's Owl Invitational at Rice and topping Oglethorpe 101-73 at home Saturday. Redshirt senior forward Andrei Savrasov leads the Eagles with 12.5 points per game and redshirt senior forward Carlos Curry adds 10.5 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per outing. 
 
FGCU is 2-2 against Georgia Southern throughout history, winning 74-60 in the last meeting in the series at Alico Arena on Dec. 20, 2020, and in the first-ever meeting between the programs, 85-82, in Statesboro, Ga., on Dec. 4, 2016. Ten days later, on Dec. 13, 2016, Georgia Southern won 72-59 at Alico Arena in the second game of the home-and-home matchups that season, and won its second-straight game in the series with a 72-57 victory at Alico Arena on Dec. 1, 2019. 
 
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.  
 
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS, MINI PLANS AVAILABLE
Tickets for the 2022-23 FGCU Basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased by going online to www.FGCUTickets.com or calling 866-FGCU-TIX. Group tickets can also be purchased for 10 or more people – making a memorable evening for families, businesses, or other organizations.
 
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 CHAMBERS
Pat Chambers was officially introduced as the fifth FGCU men's basketball head coach in March 2022 bringing a wealth of experience in college basketball highlighted by head coaching stints at Penn State and Boston University. Chambers spent nine years leading the Penn State (2011-20) program and two years as head coach at Boston University (2009-11). He has 195 career victories in that span including four 20-plus win seasons. Part of his career as a head coach was highlighted by leading the Nittany Lions to a No. 9 national ranking in 2019-20 which tied the program's best-ever ranking set in 1996. Prior to becoming a head coach, he spent five seasons as part of the Villanova staff helping the Wildcats to a Final Four (2009), two Elite Eight, and three Sweet Sixteen appearances during his tenure.
 
#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 93 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 46 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & 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 26 consecutive semesters. The past six semesters (Fall 2019 – Spring 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative 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.
 
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