FGCU-Bellarmine boxscore | updated FGCU stats
ASUN scoreboard | ASUN standings
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The FGCU men's basketball team (13-6, 3-3 ASUN Conference) completed a challenging two-game road trip to the Bluegrass State on Saturday, falling 61-41 to defending ASUN Tournament champion Bellarmine at Freedom Hall.
 
Graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) and senior guard Cyrus Largie (Miramar, Fla./Mater Lakes Academy) each scored 11 points for FGCU, which lost its second consecutive game for the first time in the 2022-23 season. Bellarmine (8-11, 3-3) got a game-high 14 points from redshirt freshman guard Ben Johnson.
 
"I'm really proud of how we competed defensively in the second half," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "Shots will fall – we just have to stay the course. We are looking forward to getting back to Alico Arena and getting healthy."
 
Unlike Thursday's 97-76 effort at Eastern Kentucky, FGCU's offense was unable to find its footing for the entire 40 minutes. The Eagles made just 14 of 40 shots from the field – equaling the 30.4 percent shooting in FGCU's 81-50 loss at No. 17 Tennessee on Nov. 16, 2022.
 
Bellarmine's Johnson hit a jumper to cap a game-opening 13-2 Knights run that put the Eagles behind early. Efforts like a rim-rattling dunk by senior forward Dakota Rivers (Windermere, Fla./Windermere HS) and a Johnston runner maintained that deficit to the midway part of the period, but Bellarmine rattled off an 11-0 run to go up 34-13 with 2:20 remaining.
 
FGCU ended the period with just 21 points on 7-of-26 shooting, and made just 1-of-12 attempts from beyond the arc – all season lows.
 
The Green & Blue managed to cut the deficit to 14 early in the second half on another fierce Rivers dunk and a Catto 3, but could draw no closer despite limiting Bellarmine to just 21 points in the period.
 
Graduate guard Juston Betz and senior guard Alec Pfriem each added 11 points for Bellarmine, which improved to 5-0 all time against FGCU. Largie led the Eagles with seven rebounds, while Betz pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. The Green & Blue finished with a season-low five 3-pointers on 25 attempts.
 
FGCU's 41 points marked its lowest scoring total in the program's ASUN era, and it was also the fewest points scored by an Eagles squad in any game since falling 67-37 at Marquette on March 4, 2008. The loss dropped the Green & Blue into a tie for fifth in the ASUN alongside Queens (N.C.), Jacksonville, Lipscomb and Bellarmine.

The Green & Blue return to Alico Arena next week for a two-game homestand – starting Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. against Jacksonville State. FGCU is riding a 12-game home winning streak, which includes all six contests in The Nest this season. 
 
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. 
 
---FGCUATHLETICS.COM---