FGCU-Liberty box score | updated FGCU stats
ASUN scoreboard | ASUN standings
 
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Despite a 20-point effort from senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue), the FGCU men's basketball team (14-9 overall, 4-6 ASUN Conference) dropped a 74-57 decision to Liberty on Saturday night at Liberty Arena.
 
Thompson went 7-of-12 from the field, and made four of FGCU's eight 3-pointers, in the setback – FGCU's third straight loss and fifth of the last six games. He added three rebounds.
 
Sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond) scored 14 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) added 10 points for the Green & Blue – which was held to 36 percent (9-for-25) from the field in the second half.
 
The Flames (18-5, 9-1) got a game-high 24 points from redshirt senior Darius McGhee, who led the ASUN at 20.9 points per game entering Saturday's play. Senior forward Kyle Rode went for 16 points, senior forward Shilo Robinson dropped 14 points, and redshirt freshman forward Blake Preston recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

"We have to keep getting better," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "We are showing flashes of who we can become in March!"
 
FGCU hung tough with the ASUN-leading Flames throughout the first 20 minutes. Although an 11-4 Liberty run made it 30-13 with 7:39 remaining in the first half, Weir made back-to-back jumpers and Thompson nailed a 3 and another jumper in a 9-2 burst to cut it to 23-22 at the 5:23 mark.
 
The Eagles continued to pressure the Flames in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,007, as Thompson hit a running jumper and Weir made two free throws for a 31-30 lead with 1:25 remaining in the half. Thompson again buried a triple with six seconds to go to cut Liberty's lead to a single point, but Rode answered with a 3 at the halftime horn to make it 38-34.
 
Winners of six straight, Liberty showed why it is atop the ASUN standings early in the second half – rattling off scoring runs of 5-0, 7-0 and 8-0 to build a 21-point lead with 8:02 remaining. Despite shooting 50 percent in the first half (16 of 32 from the floor), FGCU could only muster nine points in those first 12 minutes.
 
FGCU didn't quit, however, as Thompson and Anderson each hit 3s in an 8-0 burst to cut the deficit to 13 with 6:46 to play, and graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) provided his own 4-0 run with buckets on consecutive possessions to cut it to 11 with 3:37 remaining. But the Eagles would score just three points in the final three minutes of the game as Liberty pulled away for the final margin.
 
Liberty finished with a  38-22 rebounding advantage, and scored 44 points in the paint to FGCU's 18.
 
The Green & Blue return home to Alico Arena for a two-game homestand beginning Thursday, taking on Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. FGCU also faces North Alabama at 7 p.m. Saturday in The Nest. Liberty hits the road Thursday, playing at Austin Peay.
 
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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