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FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's basketball team (10-3) begins its ASUN conference schedule Saturday when the Jacksonville Dolphins (7-4) visit Alico Arena. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m., and the game is available for viewing on ESPN+. The Eagles bring a 10-game home win streak into the start of league play, which includes a 76-69 victory against the Dolphins in FGCU's 2021-22 regular-season finale Feb. 26.
 
FGCU heads into conference play having won three straight games and eight of its last nine outings. Saturday's game marks the first time FGCU has opened its ASUN slate with the Dolphins and is also the first meeting between FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers and Jacksonville.
 
The Eagles hold a 17-12 series lead against Jacksonville and have won nine of the last 10 against the Dolphins. Jacksonville downed visiting FGCU 69-66 last season to snap FGCU's eight-game win streak in the series that dated back to the 2015-16 season. FGCU is 11-4 against Jacksonville at Alico Arena. 
 
Jacksonville scored a season-low 43 points Tuesday at Notre Dame, falling to the Fighting Irish 59-43. Jacksonville shot just 34.7 percent from the field against Notre Dame and turned the ball over 17 times. Redshirt sophomore guard Gyasi Powell was the lone Dolphin in double figures at 12 points. Redshirt senior guard Kevion Nolan and redshirt junior forward Omar Payne shared game-high honors with nine rebounds each.
 
Nolan leads Jacksonville with 13.8 points per game, while redshirt junior forward Mike Marsh adds 11.3 points per outing. On the glass, redshirt senior forward Osayi Osifo pulls down a team-best 5.3 rebounds per game, with Marsh and Payne each adding 5.0 boards per contest. Nolan is second in the ASUN at 4.5 assists per game and is fifth with 50 total dimes. 
 
FGCU earned an 84-81 home victory against Canisius on Dec. 21 when junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) nailed a corner 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play. Anderson's trey capped a 22-point effort that tied his season high. The victory marked the 200th career coaching win for Chambers. 

Senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) added 21 points against the Golden Griffins, including the pass off a drive into the paint set up Anderson's game-winner. Thompson also connected for a game-best four 3-pointers and shared the team-high total with six rebounds. 
 
Thompson leads FGCU with 13.6 points per game, while Anderson adds 13.1 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per outing – a figure that ranks him third in the ASUN. 
 
Junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson), who delivered 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists in his first start of the season against Canisius, leads the ASUN and is tied for 36th nationally with 27 steals. Senior forward Dakota Rivers (Windermere, Fla./Windermere HS) is fourth in the ASUN with 1.2 blocks per game and has 98 total for third place on FGCU's career list.
 
All but one of FGCU's 10 victories this season have come when its opponent scores 65 or fewer points. FGCU averages 72.5 points per game while allowing opponents 66.5 per outing. The Dolphins are even stingier, allowing just 58.9 per game while scoring 66.0. FGCU makes 9.1 3-pointers per game, while Jacksonville cans 7.4 treys per outing. 
 
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 200 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 and No. 25 in 2022-23) 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 3.66 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 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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