It was all shooting in Jacksonville as FGCU (4-14, 1-2) could not keep up with UNF (10-8, 3-0). The Eagles kept Pace with the Ospreys for much of the first half, even with a slew of questionable calls from the officials. The versatility and offensive ability of UNF was simply too much for FGCU to keep up with. Below we will go over the good, the bad, and what’s next for the Eagles.

The Good

Caleb Catto

Catto kept the game close in the first half and led the team for most of the game. He ended up with a season high tying 16 points. Overall, he was extremely efficient, adding 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals on 7/15 shooting in 31 minutes.

Jalen Warren

Warren has strung together 3 decent, or better, games in a row now. Against UNF he finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists to only 1 turnover. Warren provided timely baskets and drives to the basket. The team simply looks better when he plays a good game.

Zach Scott

Zach Scott has now had 2 solid games off the bench in a row. In this game, he finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He did this while going 4/9 from the floor and 2/4 from downtown.

Turnovers

FGCU finally had a relatively clean game, committing only 12 turnovers. At least a few of those turnovers came by way of questionable calls as well. Turnovers have been the biggest thorn in the side of the Eagles this season. Even in a loss, this lower number is encouraging.

The Bad

Perimeter Defense

FGCU’s usually sharp defense seemed to not make the trip to Jacksonville. All 5 UNF reached double figure points. The Eagles also allowed them to make 16 3-pointers compared to only 6 of their own. Overall, the Ospreys shot 52% from 3 and essentially shot the Eagles out of contention.

Mid-Range Game

From the start, it seemed that UNF’s plan was to take away the 3 and clog the paint on defense. This left the mid-range game wide open throughout the night. Bigs of past FGCU teams would have feasted on this but, in this game, an abundance of points were left on the floor.

What’s Next

FGCU has a 1 day turnaround as they head to DeLand, FL to take on Stetson on 1/11. By most metrics, FGCU played a good game against UNF and Stetson does not have quite the amount of firepower that they have. FGCU will look to turn improved play into a W at Stetson.