Dallion Johnson and
Keeshawn Kellman each scored 15 points as Florida Gulf Coast University rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to tie before falling 73-64 to UNC Greensboro in the men's basketball season opener for both schools in Greensboro, N.C.
"I'm proud of the way we competed in the second half," said FGCU head coach
Pat Chambers. "We have to keep building the habits for 40 minutes."
Kellman, who finished second in the country last season with a 68.1 field goal percentage, picked up where he left off last year, going 6-of-8 from the field including the first 3-pointer in his six-year career. Johnson matched Kellman with six made field goals and tied
Rory Stewart for the team-high in 3-pointers with three.
The Eagles (0-1) trailed 44-30 at the break after the Spartans (1-0) connected on 10 3-pointers over the first 20 minutes. FGCU would clamp down on defense to get back into the contest, most especially over the first 10 minutes of the second half. The hosts would lead 49-36 with 17:16 remaining, but the Eagles would keep the Spartans off the board for nearly seven minutes as they climbed back to make it 49-43. After UNCG broke the dry spell with a basket, Johnson would connect from long range and Kellman would score in the paint to make it 51-48.
The Spartans would score five in a row to restore order, but the Eagles roared back as Kellman scored seven points in a row for the Green & Blue.
Jevin Muniz would drain a 3-pointer to tie the game for the first time, 58-58.
Each team would go 1-of-2 at the line to make it 59-all with 3:54 to go. Then, the Eagles would go cold at the wrong time as UNCG went on an 11-0 run to pull away for good. By the time Johnson made his final 3-pointer, the clock was under :30 and the Eagles could get no closer.
Rahmir Barno tied a pair of career-highs as he pulled in nine rebounds and dished out six assists. The six assists match his total from last season's opener at Indiana, which stood as his high for his freshman year. Muniz and Stewart each notched nine points for the Eagles, with
Michael Duax adding seven,
Zavian McLean netting three, and
Darren Williams scoring the first two of his collegiate career.
FGCU held UNCG to just 24.1 percent shooting from the field in the second half (7-of-24). After their first half barrage, the Spartans only made two 3-pointers in the second half. UNCG would get 30 points from the bench, compared to 14 for the Eagles.
The Eagles will be back in action Friday at TCU in the final game of a two-game road trip to start the season. Tip-off in Fort Worth, Texas is set for 8 p.m. EST
