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Game Notes: FGCU vs. Austin Peay
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ASUN: Standings | Scoreboard
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's basketball team (16-14 overall, 6-11 ASUN Conference) plays its final regular-season test of the 2022-23 campaign Friday night, a pivotal matchup against Austin Peay at Alico Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game is available for viewing on ESPN+.
 
The Green & Blue's postseason fate hinges on two factors Friday: either a victory against the Governors (9-23, 3-14) or a Jacksonville loss against Eastern Kentucky earns FGCU a berth in the 10-team ASUN Conference tournament that begins Monday at on-campus sites. The Eagles currently sits tied for 10^th with the Dolphins, and own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
 
Austin Peay has lost 12 of its last 13 games, including a 76-51 setback Wednesday night at Stetson. The Governors got 12 points from redshirt junior forward Shon Robinson, 11 from freshman guard Guy Fontleroy, and 10 from redshirt sophomore forward Jalen Ware. Austin Peay's 51 points was its least since losing 56-45 to Bellarmine on Jan. 19.
 
Redshirt sophomore guard Sean Durugordon leads the Governors at 12.4 points per game, and sophomore center Elijah Hutchins-Everett adds 11.2 per contest. Durugordon also pulls in a team-best 6.0 rebounds per outing. Austin Peay is ranked 12^th in the ASUN offensively, scoring 66.5 points per game. The Governors defense is eighth in the conference, allowing 71.7 points per game.
 
Austin Peay leads the all-time series against FGCU 2-0, including a 61-59 victory in Clarksville, Tenn., on Jan. 5.
 
FGCU has lost three straight, including a 73-64 decision to Lipscomb on Wednesday night. Junior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) once again led the Eagles in scoring, dropping 15 points to go with four assists and two steals. Graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) and junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) each added 13 points. Catto dished five assists and collected four steals – both team highs.
 
FGCU equaled its lowest-scoring first half of the season (Bellarmine, 1-14-23) Wednesday, shooting just 9-for-39 from the field and 2-0f-19 from beyond the arc for 21 points. The Eagles managed to erase a 22-point second-half deficit before going scoreless in the final 2:20.
 
Thompson leads the Green & Blue at 14.9 points per game, while Johnston drops 12.0 points and sophomore forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) adds 11.9 points per outing. Anderson is fourth in the ASUN in rebounding at 7.0 per contest.
 
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.  
 
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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