FGCU-FIU box score | updated FGCU stats

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's basketball team (7-2) won its fifth straight game and eighth consecutive home game Sunday in Alico Arena with a 74-65 victory over FIU. The Eagle defense clamped down on the high-scoring FIU squad and junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) led FGCU with a double-double of 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. 
 
The Eagles snapped FIU's five-game winning streak in the cross-state series and held the Panthers to 65 points, its lowest output in 2022-23.
 
"We want our identity to be all about defending and rebounding, and we needed it against a team like FIU – because they are relentless," said FGCU men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "We knew we had to play 40 minutes, and there is no time to relax playing FIU. I am proud of our defense and the things that we did to hold them down a little bit." 
 
Graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) delivered 14 points, 11 in the first half and had four of FGCU's 10 3-pointers. Junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) came off the bench for 11 points, nine coming off three treys. 
 
FGCU held FIU's leading scorer, sophomore guard Denver Jones, to just six points. The Panthers (4-4) were led by sophomore forward Mohamed Sanogo, the game's top scorer, with 23 points and eight rebounds. 
 
FGCU's tenacious defense was in full effect during the first 20 minutes, holding FIU – which came into Sunday night averaging 81.7 points per game – to just 31 points on 12-of-32 shooting (37.5 percent). Catto came up big for the Eagles in the period by canning three 3-pointers, including the go-ahead trey with 38 seconds to go in the half, en route to 11 points. 
 
The Eagles led by one at the break, 32-21, and outscored the Panthers 42-34 for the final margin.
 
It was Johnston's turn to find the bottom early in the second half, as he nailed consecutive 3-pointers in a torrid 27-second stretch to push FGCU to a 47-40 lead with 15:34 remaining. The long-range barrage continued for FGCU. Senior guard Dahmir Bishop (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter/Xavier/St. Joseph's) beat the shot clock on another triple for a 52-42 advantage, and Johnston connected again from the corner to make it 55-42 with 12:52 to play. 
 
The lead and a pesky defensive effort that marked FIU for the full 94 feet allowed FGCU to absorb a 4:20 scoreless drought that saw the Panthers score just four points themselves. Anderson converted a three-point play with 4:12 remaining for a 65-52 lead. Anderson's double-double was his second in three games, and his 13 boards, 36 minutes played, 13 field goal attempts, eight free throws made, nine free throws attempted and two blocks were all career highs.
 
"The scary thing is that Zach is only scratching the surface of how good he can be," Chambers said. "He's got limitless potential, and I think he is just now starting to realize that. He is two feet in all the way. There will be games like Drexel (zero points and four turnovers in 20 minutes), and then comes right back and works that much harder to prevent it from happening again. So far, his consistency in practice, film sessions, doing extra, has been off the charts." 
 
FIU managed to cut its deficit to seven points in the final minute by extending into a full-court press, but FGCU simply was too tough down the stretch – as senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line to seal the Eagles' fifth straight victory. 
 
FGCU returns to the road Wednesday night, traveling to Boca Raton to take on FAU at 7 p.m. The Green & Blue next play at Alico Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, against Mercer. 
 
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 197 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 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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