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FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's basketball team (14-7 overall, 4-4 ASUN Conference) is back on the road Thursday, taking on another new addition to the ASUN – facing Queens (N.C.) for the first time in program history. Tip-off from Curry Arena in Charlotte, N.C., is set for 7 p.m., and the game is available to view on ESPN+.
 
FGCU is coming off a 65-63 home setback against ASUN co-leaders Kennesaw State on Saturday night, a loss that snapped the Eagles' school-record 13-game home winning streak.
 
Queens (13-8, 3-5) began a four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I as new members of the ASUN in 2022. Before then, Queens had competed in the South Atlantic Conference for 14 of their varsity sports.
 
The Royals have lost two straight and four of their last five, including a 77-70 road setback at Jacksonville on Saturday. Senior guard Kenny Dye went for a game-high 22 points – his 12^th straight double-figure game – in the loss. Dye canned 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc to go with five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore guard AJ McKee has an even more impressive scoring run, as he has popped for double figures in 21 straight games after an 11-point effort against the Dolphins.
 
Dye and McKee lead Queens in scoring, respectively averaging 17.1 (third in the ASUN) and 15.2 points per game. Junior forward Gavin Rains hauls in 10.2 rebounds per outing – a figure that leads the ASUN by a whopping 2.6 boards and would rank 13^th nationally if Queens was eligible for NCAA statistical rankings.
 
Queens leads the ASUN in scoring at 81.2 points per game, which would rank 21^st nationally. The Royals are 12^th in the 14-team conference defensively, allowing 75.1 points per outing.
 
FGCU senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) scored a game-high 16 points, including three clutch 3-pointers, in the loss to Kennesaw State. Junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) added 15 points off the bench, and junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) added 12 points. Sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond) almost recorded his third double-double, finishing with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Thompson leads the Green & Blue with 13.0 points per game, and has made a team-best 48 3-pointers. Anderson, a two-time ASUN Player of the Week this season, is close behind at 12.5 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds – which ranks second in the ASUN. Johnston adds 11.6 points per game and is one off the ASUN lead with 34 steals. Weir's 7.3 rebounds per game ranks third in the conference.
 
FGCU has allowed 61 or fewer points in 11 of 21 games (going 9-2 in that span) and gives up 66.7 points per game. The Eagles are 10^th in the ASUN offensively, scoring 70.2 points per game.
 
After visiting Queens, the Green & Blue travel to Lynchburg, Va., to take on ASUN co-leaders Liberty at 7 p.m. Saturday.
 
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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