FGCU-Stetson box score | updated FGCU stats
ASUN scoreboard | ASUN standings
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Despite another impressive performance by junior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue), the FGCU men's basketball team (16-13 overall, 6-10 ASUN Conference) fell short against Stetson 88-84 on Saturday night at Alico Arena.
 
The loss, FGCU's second straight and seventh out of the last nine games, has the Green & Blue sitting in a tie for 10^th in the ASUN standings – with 10 teams advancing to the ASUN Tournament starting Feb. 27.
 
Stetson (16-11, 11-5) earned the series sweep against its in-state rival, which was also the return of former Dunk City standout Brett Comer – who is a current Hatters assistant coach.
 
Thompson, who has scored 19.8 points per outing in FGCU's last eight games, delivered a team-high 19 points. He also dished out a game-high seven assists and grabbed a team high-tying five rebounds.
 
Graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) scored a season-high 16 points – doing so while passing Comer's school record for career minutes played. Comer piled up 4,048 minutes from 2011-15, and Catto now played has 4,083 minutes. Catto was one of four players honored during pre-game Senior Night festivities, joining
 
Sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond) came off the bench to score 11 points, and junior guard/former Hatter Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) added 10 points against his former school.
 
Eight of FGCU's 13 losses this season have been by six points or fewer.
 
"It is such an amazing learning experience, it really is," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "The journey is crazy. We were super healthy and played some really good basketball in November and December, and ever since Christmas I felt like it was one thing after another – illness, injury, whatever – and I felt like we've recovered.
 
"That's the way it goes. We are doing enough to stay in games, but we aren't doing more than enough to close games out. But we are so close. … I really believe it is these experiences, as much as it pains me right now because I am a competitor, and these moments that will help us down the road."
 
Stetson built as much as an eight-point advantage in the first half despite FGCU putting forth its best shooting half all season, making 17-of-28 attempts from the field for a scintillating 60.7 percent. The Eagles were able to cut it to 47-45 late with 13 seconds remaining before a collision on a Stetson fast break caused Hatters junior guard Stephan Swenson to land awkwardly near the basket stanchion.
 
The game was delayed for nearly 20 minutes while Swenson was attended to by EMTs and medical professionals, and he was able to walk with assistance off the Alico Arena floor and into an ambulance. Stetson trainers said postgame that Swenson was alert and speaking to doctors at a nearby hospital, and that he was expected to be released from care late Saturday night.
 
Despite allowing a season-high 50 points in the first half and trailed 50-45 at the break, FGCU kept pace with the Hatters. Two Thompson free throws cut the deficit to a point, 54-53, with 16:46 remaining, and a Thompson triple capped an 8-0 run for a 61-59 lead at the 13:10 mark – the Green & Blue's first lead since the opening minutes.
 
Stetson kept its torrid offensive pace, though, rallying for an 81-75 lead with 4:00 to play and expanding it to an 84-75 cushion at the 3:14 mark. FGCU was able to cut the lead to four points three times in the final 1:09, but was not able to draw any closer.
 
Junior forward Luke Brown led the Hatters with 22 points. Blackmon went for 21 points and six rebounds, senior guard/forward Whea Panzo dropped 15 points and snared six rebounds, and Swenson added 12 points. Stetson shot 54.1 percent from the field, and FGCU shot a season-high 53.4 percent.
 
FGCU closes the 2022-23 regular season with two more home games. Lipscomb visits Alico Arena at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22, which is American Heart Association and FGCU Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night. The regular-season finale sees Austin Peay come to town at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 for Fan Appreciation Night.
 
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 206 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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