MIAMI, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball will open the month of December at FIU on Wednesday night.

FGCU enters after playing three games in three days at GEICO Coconut Hoops. The Eagles used a late rally from Michael Duax and Rory Stewart to surge past Oral Roberts. The next day, FGCU overcame a sluggish first half to force overtime and knock off Rice, before playing in back-to-back overtime games for the first time in program history on Wednesday night.

The last time out, the Eagles fell to Kennesaw State despite Jordan Ellerbee posting one of the best scoring performances in program history. » Jordan Ellerbee had one of, if not the best game in program history in the Eagles' loss to Kennesaw St. The true freshman erupted for 42 points on 13-18 FG / 5-8 3PT / 11-14 FT with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and just one turnover. His game was the most efficient scoring performance in FGCU history, the Alico Arena points record, the second 40-point game and the 19th 30+ point game in program history, and was one point shy of the FGCU single-game scoring record.

Ellerbee's first half was the envy of many players' full games. His 27 points in the half are more than any other Eagle had scored in a game prior to the tilt with the Owls/in regulation (Konieczny had 28 including overtime scoring against KSU) and would be tied for the sixth best full game scoring performance in the Chambers era at FGCU. Only Eric McKnight (2014, 11-11) and Kevin Samuel (2022, 8-8) have made at least eight shots from the field in a full game in FGCU history; neither player attempted a 3-pointer in those outings.

He scored FGCU's first 17 points and 22 of the first 24 points in the game for the Eagles. He was the only Eagle to score in the first nine minutes. His 13 made field goals for the game are tied for the second most in a game in Division I program history. Only Bernard Thompson (14) has hit more shots in a game than Ellerbee in Eagles history.

Ellerbee has joined the short list of players to score more than 30 at FGCU. Tavian Dunn-Martin owns eight of those performances, the most of any player, all in 2021-22. Shadrac Casimir has three 30+ point games, all in 2018-19. Bernard Thompson is the only player with two 30+ point outings and the only one to do so in different seasons (2013-14, 2014-15). He added his name to the list of Brett Comer, Chase Fieler, Marc-Eddy Norelia, Zach Johnson and Brandon Goodwin with one career game surpassing 30 points in the Green & Blue. 

Of that grouping, Ellerbee's performance is the best in nonconference action and is the ninth 30-point showing outside of ASUN play. Four of Dunn-Martin's games, both of Thompson's, Fieler's and Norelia's games are the others. Half of those games – Fieler, Nov. 12; Dunn-Martin, Nov. 13; Thompson, Nov. 19; and Norelia, Nov. 21 – were earlier in the calendar year than Ellerbee's; all but one of Dunn-Martin's were in the regular season.
He was named the ASUN Player & Newcomer of the Week for his efforts on the full week, which included back-to-back 20-point games after scoring a then-career high 20 points in the win over Rice. His 62 points over two games marks the best two-game scoring stretch in program history. With 30+ against FIU, he'd be the first Eagle ever to have back-to-back 30-point games.

FIU leads the all-time series 9-8, but FGCU has won each of the three games between the Eagles and Panthers in the Chambers era. The Panthers are led by: Corey Stephenson (18 PPG & 8.5 RPG); Ashton Williams and Zawdie Jackson (20 AST); Jackson (9 STL); and Hamed Olayinka (11 BLK). The Panthers dropped road power conference matchups at Nebraska and LSU, and split a pair of home games over Thanksgiving against James Madison and Omaha. FIU also has two wins over non-D1 opponents.

Tickets are on sale now for FGCU's home tilt with FAU on Dec. 7 at https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/list/FGCU. Black Friday deals, including a Home for the Holidays Family 4-Pack and Azul's Workshop Holiday special, are available through Dec. 5. 

For more information on FGCU men's basketball, follow @FGCU_MBB on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit fgcuathletics.com.