FORT MYERS, Fla. – Pat Chambers' squad shot 53.8% from 3-point range and had five players score in double digits on Saturday, as Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball (8-11, 2-4 ASUN) closed its homestand with a 90-72 win over West Georgia (9-9, 3-3 ASUN).
Jack Reddick played the best game of his career, scoring 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range, all of which were career-best marks for the sophomore. He also played a career-high 24 minutes off the bench.
Rahmir Barno led FGCU with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field.
Jordan Ellerbee and
Isaiah Malone each scored 16, and
Michael Duax posted a 12 point, six rebound outing.Â
"It's about our attitude. It's about our mindset. It's about our approach," head coach
Pat Chambers said. "I thought we stepped up defensively, and that pleased me most … (Michael) Duax, one of his best games since November;
Isaiah Malone's become really consistent …Â
Rahmir Barno really produced tonight. And
Jack Reddick, he has been working so hard. He's coming in every morning with
Jordan Ellerbee, they're getting shots up … and he finally had to trust it in a game."Â
Barno's 19 points were good for his 14th double-digit outing of the season. It's more double-digit scoring games this year than in his previous two years combined.Â
The Eagles opened with an Ellerbee triple and Malone dunk and led for the first ten minutes of the half as a result of balanced scoring. A 14-2 West Georgia run put the Wolves up 32-22 with 4:40 to play, but FGCU closed the half strong, going on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 38-37 at the break. Barno then opened the second half by giving the Eagles the lead back with a layup.
FGCU, which led for 27:27 in the win, took the lead for good on a second half Duax slam. Shelton Williams-Dryden hit a jumper for West Georgia with 16:46 to go before the Eagles' defense shut the Wolves down. UWG went the next six minutes without making a shot from the field as FGCU's lead ballooned to 12 points at 68-56, in part thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from
Jack Reddick, including a four-point play.
Â
West Georgia cut the lead back to 75-71 with 5:01 to go before FGCU's defense rose to the challenge one last time for the afternoon. The Wolves missed their final ten shots from the field, Barno made a pair of jumpers and Guillouette hit a clutch putback layup to spur a 15-1 run in clutch time that sealed the 90-72 win.
The Eagles went 8-for-10 at the free throw line in the final minute, and finished plus-16 in points scored at the free throw line, its best margin of the season. FGCU moved to 8-1 on the season when allowing less than 80 points, and to 8-2 when outrebounding its opponent.
Williams-Dryden led all scorers with 28 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field for West Georgia.
Next, FGCU begins a stretch with five of the next six games on the road, starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 at Austin Peay.
Tickets are on sale now for ASUN action at
https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/list/FGCU.Â
For more information on FGCU men's basketball, follow @FGCU_MBB on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit
fgcuathletics.com.
