FGCU-Eastern Kentucky boxscore | updated FGCU stats
ASUN scoreboard | ASUN standings
 
RICHMOND, Ky. – The FGCU men's basketball team (13-5, 3-2 ASUN Conference) was unable to fully capitalize on another strong outing by sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond), dropping a 97-76 decision to Eastern Kentucky on Thursday at Baptist Health Arena.
 
Weir recorded his second double-double in as many games, scoring 12 points and snaring a game-high 14 rebounds – just one off his career-best 15 boards tallied against North Florida last Saturday. Graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) also dropped 12 points on four triples.
 
Senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) led five double-digit Eagles with 15 points, while senior guard Dahmir Bishop (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter/Xavier/St. Joseph's) delivered 13 points off the bench. Junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) added 10 points in his second start of the season.
 
"It is tough to win on the road in the ASUN," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "We will continue to learn and grow. We have to keep getting better, and be the best team we can by the end of the year."
 
The ASUN's highest-scoring offense coming into the game, Eastern Kentucky (11-7, 4-1) bolstered that claim with 17 3-pointers and a 52-point second half to break open what was a single-digit game and move into second place in the conference. Freshman guard Turner Buttry led the Colonels with 18 points, while senior guard Cooper Robb and junior forward Michael Moreno each added 14.
 
FGCU's offense struggled from the opening tip, as the Eagles went 0-for-7 from the field and added two turnovers in Eastern Kentucky's game-opening 13-0 run. Weir finally put the Green & Blue on the scoreboard at the 15:42 mark of the first half, but FGCU struggled to find traction – going down as many as 19 points several times late in the period.
 
Just as it looked like the Colonels were going to pull away, though, FGCU ignited a late flurry – as Catto hit a 3 with 1:04 remaining in the first half and senior guard Cyrus Largie (Miramar, Fla./Mater Lakes Academy) canned a baseline triple at the buzzer to go into halftime trailing 45-34.
 
Weir spun inside for a layup on FGCU's first possession of the second half to make it 45-36, but the Eagles were ultimately unable to draw any closer. A 10-0 Eastern Kentucky run that included two Buttry triples gave the Colonels a 67-47 lead with 12:36 remaining. A hot-shooting Colonels second half ultimately resulted in going 19-of-30 from the field in the final 20 minutes for 63.3 percent – the best half by an FGCU opponent all season.
 
Eastern Kentucky outrebounded FGCU 47-41, with senior forward Isaiah Cozart and junior wing Devontae Blanton each pulling in eight boards. The Eagles made just 8-of-28 shots from beyond the arc, and finished just 33.3 percent (24-of-72) overall from the field. FGCU's 76 points was its most scored in a loss since falling 97-90 in overtime at Canisius on Dec. 22, 2021.
 
FGCU remains in the Bluegrass State during this two-game road trip, heading to Lexington for a road game against Bellarmine (7-11, 2-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Knights fell to ASUN-leading Stetson 80-51 on Thursday. Eastern Kentucky takes the Hatters in Richmond on Saturday. The Green & Blue's next home game is Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. against Jacksonville State.
 
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 203 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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