CONWAY, S.C. – A big second half performance for the Chanticleers proved the difference maker as Coastal Carolina pulled away for a 84-68 win over the FGCU men's basketball team on Monday night at the HTC Center. The Eagles' season concluded with a 22-12 overall record after making their seventh postseason appearance in program history. Coastal Carolina improved to 18-13 overall and will advance to The Basketball Classic Semifinals.
 
"I thought we played well in the first half and were able to get some stops which got our transition offense going early. Certainly the way we closed the half gave us some momentum going into the break," said head coach Michael Fly. "In the second, we just had too many turnovers and Coastal capitalized on that. Overall, I'm proud of the season our players and staff put together."
 
Tavian Dunn-Martin led the Eagles with 17 points to finish the season with a program-record 705 points – the first player in FGCU history to surpass the 700-point plateau. He will finish his time in the ASUN with the 10^th most points in a single-season in league history as well.
 
Zach Anderson tied his career high with 15 points, which included three three-pointers, while hauling in five rebounds. Caleb Catto concluded his true senior campaign with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
 
The Chanticleers were led by 24 points from Rudi Williams and 23 points by Essam Mostafa. Vince Cole added 15 points, while Ebrima Dibba nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Mostaffa added a game-high 14 rebounds, while Wilfried Likayi also had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
 
The Eagles led 40-34 at the break thanks to a 7-to-0 run by FGCU in the final minute capped by a Dunn-Martin half-court fling at the buzzer. The Green and Blue used an 18-to-6 run earlier in the half to take a 29-23 with 3:44 left in the opening stanza highlighted by a Catto three pointer.
 
In the second half, Coastal used a run of its own to retake the lead, 52-48, with 10:36 to go. The Chanticleers had a 12-to-3 streak to go back on top. After CCU went up by as many as seven a minute later, a three pointer by Catto followed by a lay-up from Richie pulled the Eagles back within a basket, 57-55. FGCU kept the game within two possessions for the next three minutes, but Coastal went on an 18-to-5 run to put the game out of reach. Anderson hit a pair of threes in the final 75 seconds to cap the Eagles' scoring.
 
Behind Mostaffa and Likayi, CCU held a 46-to-31 advantage on the boards. In the second half, Coastal hit 20-of-33 from the floor, while FGCU was just 9-of-24. The Chanticleers converted 17 FGCU turnovers in the game into 23 points, while the Eagles scored just eight points off 14 CCU miscues.
 
The 22 wins on the year for FGCU marked the most since the 2017-18 campaign where the Eagles were 23-12 to reach the NIT. The Green and Blue closed the year winning nine of its final 12 games. The 22 wins also tied as the most for any team in the ASUN this year alongside Liberty.
 
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 has helped FGCU to a 211-142 record (.598 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, a Basketball Classic appearance, and a run to the Sweet 16. He has coached 15 all-conference selections while with the Green and Blue, including two ASUN Player of the Year honors in Sherwood Brown and Brandon Goodwin, three ASUN Defensive Player of the Year selections (Bernard Thompson, Demetris Morant, Kevin Samuel) and two ASUN Newcomer of the Year in Schadrac Casimir and Tavian Dunn-Martin. 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 90 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 44 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. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) 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 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) 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---