Box Score FGCU-Mercer box score | updated FGCU stats

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) delivered a double-double and the FGCU men's basketball team (8-3) turned in a gritty defensive effort Saturday night to defeat Mercer 67-62 at Alico Arena. Anderson tied for the team lead with 14 points and 13 rebounds, scoring 12 points in the second half and eight of the Eagles' 13 points in the final 3:22.
 
FGCU led only by a point, 54-53, when Anderson hit a jumper in the paint with 3:22 to play – touching off a 6-0 run to put FGCU up 62-56 with 48 seconds remaining. 
 
Bears' graduate forward Luis Hurtado and Anderson had a scoring duel late in the game, as Hurtado scored seven of his 15 points in the final 82 seconds of play. Hurtado and Anderson shared game-high rebounding honors with each collecting 13, a total that tied for Anderson's career best.
 
Anderson's two final free throws and four by senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) helped secure the win as Mercer swapped personnel and worked the clock to try and cut the deficit. Thompson finished with 14 points and senior guard Dahmir Bishop (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter/Xavier/St. Joseph's) had 13 points, two timely blocks, and tied a career best with three steals.
 
"That was an incredibly character-building game for us," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "This was our third game in six days, and we looked a little beat up. Give Mercer credit, because they beat us up, too. But was an incredibly huge character-building performance for us to find a way when maybe our tank was a little empty." 
 
In all eight of FGCU's wins this season, the Eagles have held opponents to 65 points or less. FGCU held the Bears 16 points below its 78.0 scoring average and forced 14 Bears turnovers for 11 critical points. 
 
Mercer junior forward Jalyn McCreary added 14 points before fouling out with 14.1 seconds to play.
 
The Eagles endured a nearly four-minute scoreless drought midway through the first half before Bishop's floater at the 7:00 mark ended a 9-0 Mercer scoring run. Bishop tied the game at 18 with a triple with 6:14 until the break. 
 
FGCU's defense clamped down on Mercer throughout the period, holding the Bears to 38.5 percent shooting from the floor (10-26). The Eagles made one fewer shot from the field, with nine baskets and a 34.6 field goal percentage, but had two more treys for a slim 26-25 halftime advantage.
 
The Eagles endured another four-minute scoreless drought midway through the second half, and Mercer used another 9-0 burst to take a 37-33 lead. Thompson snapped that with a transition 3-pointer and a 12-2 run that included an Anderson corner trey and layup by junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) flipped the score to 45-39 in favor of the Eagles. 
 
Saturday night's win gave FGCU a two-game win streak in the series, tying its longest win streak in the 20 meetings. The Eagles defeated Mercer, a former ASUN rival, twice in 2012-13, the second victory coming in the ASUN Tournament title game to launch #DUNKCITY and the team's 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
 
FGCU returns to action on the road Friday night, traveling to New York to take on St. Bonaventure. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be telecast 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.  
 
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 198 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 (https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/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 https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.    
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 94 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 47 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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