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Game Notes: FGCU vs. Central Arkansas
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Season Stats: FGCU | Central Arkansas
ASUN: Standings | Scoreboard
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's basketball team (14-9 overall, 4-6 ASUN Conference) looks to rebound from a tough second half of January starting Thursday night, when the Green & Blue host visiting Central Arkansas at Alico Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game is available to view on ESPN+.
 
FGCU has dropped three straight decisions and five of its last six against some of the toughest opposition in the ASUN. Thursday marks the second time the Eagles have played the Bears this season, with FGCU coming out on top 84-79 in overtime on Jan. 2 in Conway, Ark.
 
Central Arkansas (7-16, 2-8) has lost four of its last five outings, including a 74-64 setback at home against Jacksonville on Jan. 28. Sophomore guard Camren Hunter led the Bears with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in defeat. Junior guard Collin Cooper scored 13 points, and senior guard/forward Eddy Kayouloud added 12 points and seven rebounds.
 
Jacksonville shot 64 percent from the field in the second half, and limited Central Arkansas to just 37 percent (20-of-54) total from the field. The Bears have been without head coach Anthony Boone since he underwent heart surgery Jan. 6, with assistants Jeff Price, Brock Widders, and John Cranford collectively leading the team in his absence.
 
Hunter leads Central Arkansas in scoring at 17.6 points per game (good for second in the ASUN), while Kayouloud drops 13.1 points and Cooper adds 10.9 points per contest. Kayouloud pulls down 5.9 rebounds and Hunter adds 5.5 board per outing. The Bears are ninth in the ASUN scoring at 73.1 points per game, and are dead last defensively – allowing 81.0 points per game.
 
Despite a 20-point effort from senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue), FGCU fell to Liberty, 74-57, on Jan. 28. Thompson went 7-of-12 from the field, and made four of FGCU's eight 3-pointers, in the setback.

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 shot just 36 percent (9-for-25) from the field in the second half.

Thompson leads the Eagles with 13.7 points per game, while Anderson drops 12.7 points and grabs a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game (the latter good for second in the ASUN), and Junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) adds 11.4 points per outing. Weir has been on a tear in the last nine games, recording two double-doubles and averaging 13.1 points and 8.8 rebounds in that span. FGCU's offense is 10th in the conference (scoring 70.2 points per game), and the Eagles' defense is fourth in the ASUN at 67.8 points per outing.
 
Both previous games between FGCU and Central Arkansas have gone to overtime. In addition to the 84-78 thriller on Jan. 2 that included graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) converting a four-point play to force the extra session, the Green & Blue claimed a 95-93 OT win precisely a year ago on Feb. 2, 2022.
 
Thursday's game against Central Arkansas benefits Laces of Love, and will include an appearance by FGCU legend and Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale. Thursday also celebrates Faculty & Staff MVP Night. FGCU completes the two-game homestand Saturday, facing North Alabama at 7 p.m. in The Nest. Saturday's game celebrates Azul the Eagle's birthday.
 
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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