JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Eagles (10-13, 4-6 ASUN) used their best defensive performance from beyond the arc since 2012 and tied the best showing in program history to earn their second consecutive ASUN win in a 68-49 rout of Jacksonville (9-14, 4-6) on Saturday.
The Dolphins went just 1-for-17 (5.9%) from behind the arc, joining Loyola Marymount, who did the same on December 1, 2012, as the two opponents held under 6% from deep by Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball. The total 49 points scored by the Dolphins is the second time a conference opponent has been held under 50 in the Chambers era at FGCU, as the Eagles held Queens to 47 points on January 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, FGCU knocked down triples at a 46.7% clip, led by a 3-for-4 afternoon from
Jordan Ellerbee, who led all scorers with 15 points. Ellerbee and
Tristen Guillouette, who scored a season-high 11 points, led the Eagles to their eighth straight win and a 24-12 series lead over the Dolphins. Chambers moved to 6-0 over JU with the win.
Defense and physicality was the theme of the afternoon, but especially so in the first half. Williams broke the ice for FGCU with a 3-pointer early. The Eagles trailed early until an Ellerbee triple with just over 10 minutes to go leveled the game at 14-14.
The two teams combined for a scoring drought that spanned three minutes shortly thereafter, but JR Konieczny hit a layup with 3:28 to play to give FGCU its first lead at the 3:28 mark, and hit another layup to give FGCU a 25-24 halftime lead. Konieczny played for the first time since January 15 against Queens and finished with nine points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block over 25 minutes in his return.
The Dolphins briefly reclaimed the lead at the start of the second half, but
Michael Duax hit a pair of free throws to put FGCU up 27-26. The Eagles would not relinquish that lead. His free throws sparked a 10-2 run, punctuated by an acrobatic
Isaiah Malone and-one finish.
FGCU's defense held Jacksonville without a 3-pointer in the second half; the Dolphins went 0-for-8 from deep and only shot 33.3% from the field.
JU led the ASUN in bench points per game entering the contest, averaging 32.23 points from its reserves, but FGCU outscored the Dolphins 32-17 in bench points on Saturday.
Hayden Wood led Jacksonville with 11 points and six rebounds.
Next, the Eagles head to the Bluegrass State to face EKU at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 5.
Tickets are on sale now for ASUN action 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.
Postgame Notes
– Ellerbee's 15 points are good for his fifth consecutive double-digit game, his 15th double-digit game of the year and his seventh double-digit game in conference play
– Guilouette's 11 points are good for his second double-digit game of the year and first in conference play
– Jacksonville's 1-for-17 mark from 3-point range is tied for the best FGCU defensive 3-point performance in program history, as the Eagles held Loyola Marymount to an identical mark from behind the arc on December 1, 2012. It's the second time in the Chambers era that Florida Gulf Coast has held a team below 10% from 3-point range, as CSU Bakersfield shot 1-for-11 (9.1%) on November 22, 2024.
– Eight of FGCU's ten wins have now come by 15 or more points
– Only Hayden Wood scored in double-digits for Jacksonville (11 points), marking the first time since the season opener against New College of Florida that FGCU has held a team with only one player in single digits
– JR Konieczny returned for the first time since January 15 against Queens and led FGCU in rebounding, with eight on the day. He finished with nine points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block in just over 25 minutes played
–
Darren Williams hit three or more 3-pointers for the fourth time this season and the second time in conference play
– For the first time in 2025-26, FGCU won a game without winning the rebound battle, as the Eagles finished minus-one on the glass (37-38)
– Jacksonville scored just over half of its season average of bench points per game in the loss, as the Eagles outscored the Dolphins 32-17 off the bench (JU entered averaging 32.33 bench points)
– FGCU's defense stifled Jacksonville's ball movement, holding the Dolphins to a season-low four assists.
