FGCU finished their business in Deland and escaped with a thrilling overtime victory over Stetson by a score of 66-62. The Eagles started out hot and jumped to a 9-4 lead on a pair of Caleb Catto 3-pointers. Unfortunately, almost 6 minutes passed until the Eagles would score again as Stetson would go on a 12-0 run to take the lead (16-9). This would turn out to be the largest lead of the game for either team. For the remainder of the contest, these teams traded bucket after bucket in what would amount to 18 lead changes and an overtime win for the Eagles. Below we will take a look and the good and bad from the win and take a glance at what’s next for FGCU.

The Good

Caleb Catto

Catto has had maybe his best stretch of games in his short college career. He has now scored double digit points in 3 straight games. Over that time, he is averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Against Stetson, Catto scored a career high 19 points. His outing included 5 made 3-pointers, including the one that sent the game to overtime. Catto’s recent play has guided the Eagles to a 2-1 record in their last 3 games.

Jalen Warren

Warren has also put together several solid performances. Over the last 3 games he is averaging 11 points and 4 assists. Again, Warren showed that he loves overtime, scoring 8 points in that 5 minute period alone. He scored a total of 16 in the game and effectively manned the point, leading the Eagles to victory.

Zach Scott

To round out the trio, Scott has started to come back into form over the last few games. He has averaged 11 points and 4 rebounds during that time. Against the Hatters he finished with 10 points, including some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch. Scott has looked more like himself recently, coming off the bench. Of course, he is still getting starter minutes and finding ways to contribute.

Justus Rainwater

Rainwater has been extremely consistent this season. He finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Perhaps more impressive was the defense he played against Stetson’s big, Mahamadou Diawara. Diawara came into the game averaging 14 points. Rainwater limited him to only 6 points. Additionally, he play a part in forcing Diawara to turn the ball over 7 times.

Tracy Hector Jr

Hector Jr is this season’s Swiss army knife. Against the Hatters, he managed 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. This is the 3rd time this year where he has managed 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists is a game. Hector has proved to be an excellent passer and a useful source of seniority for this young team.

Free Throws

FGCU has struggled to get to the line at times this season. In this game, they managed to get there 20 times, making an impressive 18 of those attempts (90%). The Eagles shot twice as many free throws as the Hatters and this was a big reason why they were able to come out on top.

Turnovers

For the second straight game, the Eagles were able to limit their own turnovers. They finished with their lowest total of the season (11) after finishing with only 12 in their last game. Playing a cleaner game is a key ingredient to FGCU being competitive in the conference.

The Bad

Rob Perry

It’s hard to find much bad in this game. The main factor that stands out is the performance that Stetson’s Rob Perry was able to put together. The freshman exploded for 27 points on 10/18 shooting (5/9 from 3). His 3-point game and overall performance is what kept the Hatters hanging around all game. Perry doesn’t possess the prettiest of shots but appears to have limitless range as he made several 3s from ridiculously deep.

What’s Next

The Eagles return home to face Kennesaw State on Thursday, 1/16. Kennesaw has only one win this season and is currently 0-3 in ASUN play. FGCU will look to put together a winning streak and gain momentum going forward.