GAME 10: FIU AT FLORIDA GULF COAST
Sunday, December 11, 2016 | 8:15 p.m.
Alico Arena | Fort Myers, Fla. | ESPN3

Click here to watch FIU-FGCU live
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 3-6, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: L, 70-54 at South Carolina, December 4, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 146-152/10th season
Record at FIU: 47-58/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (19.1 ppg, 45.2% FG), Michael Kessens (14.5 ppg, 11.9 rpg)
               
FGCU EAGLES
Record: 6-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun
Last Game: W, 73-69 vs. Siena, December 9, 2016
Head Coach: Joe Dooley
Alma Mater: George Washington, 1988
Career Record: 128-93/Ninth season
Record at school: 71-41/Fourth season
Top Players: Brandon Goodwin (15.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg), Zach Johnson (13.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN3
Dave Moulton (Play-by-play)
J. Webb Horton (Color analyst) 
Radio/Audio: None
Live Stats: fgcuathletics.com
Series: FGCU leads, 4-2 (2 FIU wins vacated)
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, contact the FGCU athletic ticket office at (239) 590-7145
 
- FIU closes out the road portion of its non-conference schedule as it travels across Interstate-75 and Alligator Alley to face intrastate foe Florida Gulf Coast University on Dec. 11 at Alico Arena in Fort Myers ... Tipoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. ... The game can be seen live on ESPN3 with Dave Moulton calling the action and J. Webb Horton providing color commentary ... The matchup against FGCU will be the final game of a three-game road stretch for the Panthers that began on Nov. 30 at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina (L, 84-81 ot) ... Following its game with the Eagles, FIU will begin a season-long five-game homestand beginning on Dec. 15 against Georgia Southern (7 p.m.)
 
- The Panthers are coming off a 70-54 loss at No. 20/23 South Carolina on Dec. 4 ... Eric Nottage scored a team-high 20 points, all coming in the second half, while Michael Kessens added 12 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season - and his third-straight - and the 18th of his collegiate career ... Anthony Boswell chipped in with 10 points ... The meeting with the Gamecocks was the first against a Top 25 team for FIU since dropping an 82-57 decision at No. 5 Louisville on Dec. 5, 2014.
 
- McGill leads the team in scoring through nine games this season, averaging 19.1 points-per-contest ... Kessens is averaging a double-double netting 14.5 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 11.9 rebounds-per-outing ... Nottage rounds out the double-digit scorers netting 12.2 points-per-contest.
 
- Anthony Evans is in his fourth season as head coach of the Panthers, and his 10th season overall as a head coach, at both Norfolk State and FIU.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- Following the game at Florida Gulf Coast, the Panthers will return home for a season-long five-game homestand, starting on Dec. 15 against Georgia Southern (7 p.m.) ... FIU will also face Northern Illinois on Dec. 17 (7 p.m.), North Florida on Dec. 21 (7 p.m.), and begin Conference USA play against Marshall on Dec. 31 (1 p.m.) and WKU on Jan. 2 (7 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
- The Eagles come into Sunday's game with the Panthers boasting a 6-3 record following a 73-69 win over Siena on Friday night in Fort Myers ... FGCU has won five-straight games after starting the season 1-3 ... All three losses came against RV Florida (80-59) on Nov. 11, at Baylor (81-72) on Nov. 16 and at No. 13 Michigan State (78-77) on Nov. 20.
 
- Brandon Goodwin leads three players in double figures for FGCU, averaging 15.3 points-per-game while Zach Johnson is netting 13.6 points-per-contest ... Christian Terrell rounds out the double-digit scorers dropping in 11.1 points-per-outing ... Demetris Morant and Antravarious Simmons pace the Eagles on the glass, grabbing 5.4 rebounds-per game.  
 
THE SERIES AGAINST FGCU
- Sunday's game between FIU and FGCU will be the ninth meeting all-time in the season series ... The Eagles lead the series 4-2, although the actual on court record has the series tied at 4-4 ... FIU had two wins vacated - from the 2002-03 season and the 2003-04 season - due to NCAA sanctions.
 
THE LAST TIME VS. THE EAGLES
- FIU suffered a tough loss, on Dec. 6, 2015, when cross-state rival Florida Gulf Coast handed the Panthers a 84-76 setback in overtime on Lime Court at FIU Arena ... It was FIU's third consecutive loss.
 
- FGCU used a 14-0 run, over a 2:32 stretch in the second half, to wipe out a 13-point FIU advantage, and take the lead, 61-60, with 7:41 left in regulation ... The

Eagles took control of the overtime scoring the first 10 points, before Adrian Diaz got the Panthers back on the board, with five seconds left in the game on a dunk ... FGCU would ultimately outscore FIU 13-5 in the extra session.
 
- Adrian Diaz led four players in double figures, scoring a team-high 19 points ... Jason Boswell and Donte McGill each added 13 points apiece, and Daviyon Draper chipped in with 10 points ... Diaz also grabbed nine rebounds, blocked seven shots, and equaled his career-high for steals, with three, in 40 minutes of action.
 
- The Panthers finished the game shooting 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the field on the day, and 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from behind the three-point arc ... FIU hit just 60 percent (6-of-10) from the free-throw line ... In addition, the Panthers  handed the ball over 16 times leading to 15 FGCU points.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU is coming off a 70-54 loss to No. 20/23 South Carolina on Dec. 4 in Columbia ... The game against the Gamecocks was the Panthers' first against a Top 25 team for FIU since dropping an 82-57 decision at No. 5 Louisville on Dec. 5, 2014.
 
- Eric Nottage scored a team-high 20 points, all coming in the second half, while Michael Kessens added 12 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season - and his third-straight - and the 18th of his collegiate career ... Anthony Boswell chipped in with 10 points ... Cameron Smith also grabbed eight rebounds while Nottage also pulled down six rebounds in the loss.
 
- On the afternoon, the Panthers shot 41.3 percent (19-of-46) from the field, while also outrebounding the Gamecocks, 35-34 ...  Unfortunately for FIU it recorded a season-high 23 turnovers that led to 24 points off miscues for South Carolina.