FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball fell at home to FAU, 81-76, on Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles were led by
Rahmir Barno, who scored 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range. JR Konieczny contributed 17 points and eight rebounds, and
Jordan Ellerbee added 13 points and five assists.
The Owls got out to an early lead behind strong 3-point shooting before FGCU went on a run. Barno,
Michael Duax and Ellerbee combined to score on four straight possessions to give the Eagles a 30-26 lead in the waning moments of the first half. Konieczny made a trio of layups in the final minute and FGCU held a 37-36 lead going into the break.
The Eagles' defense opened the second half well, holding FAU without a made field goal for the first seven minutes of the period. The Owls went 9-for-9 at the free throw line during that stretch. FGCU built as much as an 11-point lead, but FAU slowly whittled away at the deficit, going on a 12-0 run from 5:03 to 0:48 to earn the comeback win.
FAU finished the game winning the rebound battle, 34-30. The Eagles are now 0-3 on the season when losing the rebounding battle.
For the third game in a row, FGCU's opponent took 30 or more free throws. It's just the second time in program history and first time since February 2009 that FGCU opponents have taken 30 or more free throws in three consecutive games. The Owls knocked down 27 of their 32 attempts on Sunday, finishing plus-14 in points scored at the free throw line.
FAU was led by Devin Vanterpool, who scored 24 with eight rebounds, and Josiah Parker, who added 16 points.
Tickets are on sale now for the Dec. 28 game against Fort Lauderdale and ASUN conference play at
https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/list/FGCU.
For more information on FGCU men's basketball, follow @FGCU_MBB on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit
fgcuathletics.com.
