Sports
FGCU Men’s Basketball Drills Record 17 Threes in 105-61 Victory in Chambers’ Alico Arena Debut
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men’s basketball team enjoyed another successful home opener Sunday night, swamping Ave Maria, 105-61, at Alico Arena in coach Pat Chambers’ Southwest Florida debut. The Eagles began the 2022-23 home slate with a high-powered offense that flirted with the program’s single-game scoring record.
Zach Anderson #10 scored 22 points for the FGCU Eagles (2-1), at Alico Arena, Fort Meyers, Florida, Sunday, November 13, 2022. (Roman Garay / Florida National News)
Junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) scored a game-high 22 points and senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Purdue) dropped in 21 to lead FGCU (2-1), which is now 19-2 overall in home openers and includes a streak of 11 straight wins from 2008-2018. The Eagles have now won three straight home openers after winning their first-ever home opener on a Sunday.
FGCU men’s basketball head coach Pat Chambers debut, at Alico Arena, Fort Meyers, Florida, Sunday, November 13, 2022. (Roman Garay / Florida National News)
“It has been a long week, and we were all about just trying to get better,” said FGCU head men’s basketball coach Pat Chambers. “We were trying to work on the foundation of defending and rebounding, creating that identity. We took major steps last week in California, and I was proud of the way we competed and gave ourselves a chance on the road. Then to come back here in front of our home crowd, I am just excited by what these kids tried to do on the defensive side of the ball.”
FGCU poured in a school-record 17 3-pointers in 40 attempts en route to reaching the 100-point plateau for the first time since defeating Webber International 112-39 on Dec. 18, 2020. Senior guard Dahmir Bishop (Philadelphia, Pa./Xavier/St. Joseph’s) scored 12 points for FGCU, and junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Stetson) stretched his streak of double-figure scoring games to three with 11 points. Ave Maria got 13 points from Jonathan Effertz and 12 from Miles Monchecourt.
Chambers is 10-2 in home openers in his 12th season as a head coach. Sunday’s win at “The Nest” extends his current streak of victories in home openers to four.
FGCU’s single-game scoring record was 123 points, set Dec. 19, 2003, against Illinois Institute of Technology. Not far behind was the 120 points the Eagles hung on Ave Maria on Nov. 29, 2016. And at several parts Sunday night, both marks seemed destined to fall. The Eagles scored 62 points in the first half alone, as Thompson tallied 17 points and Anderson dropped 16 in the first 20 minutes.
With a 35-point halftime lead in his jacket pocket, Chambers was able to cycle in several reserves during the second half – as 15 Eagles saw playing time while still eclipsing the 100-point mark.
“I am grateful for Ave Maria for taking the game and playing hard, and those kids played hard and competed even though they played last night, too,” Chambers said. “I felt like we stuck to being who we are, defending and rebounding and sharing the basketball and creating good habits. It easily could have turned into a bit of a circus, and it didn’t. We both were working on things to get better – I know I was, and I know they were, because they have a really good team for their league.”
FGCU improved to 7-0 against Ave Maria, renewing what was an annual matchup that went dormant in 2016. FGCU averaged 84 points per game against the Gyrenes coming into Sunday and allowed just 50.3 points per outing.
The Eagles return to action on the road Wednesday, playing No. 11 Tennessee at 7 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Sunday’s home opener was FGCU’s only game at home in the month of November. FGCU returns to Southwest Florida for the Gulf Coast Classic at Hertz Arena on Nov. 21-23, playing Northern Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 21. FGCU next plays at Alico Arena on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. against FIU.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) beat the Indianapolis Colts (8-5) 36-19 at EverBank Stadium today. The weather was cloudy and overcast with intermittent rain all afternoon. Today’s victory was also Jacksonville’s 11th straight home victory against Indianapolis.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. was the first to score with a 3 yard touchdown run, on a scoring drive which started with LB Devin Lloyd’s interception of a Colts QB Daniel Jones pass. After K Cam Little’s extra point, the Jaguars were up 7-0. The Colts responded with a drive which ended with a 1 yard RB Jonathan Taylor TD run, followed by K Blake Grupe’s XP to tie the score. The Jags followed up with a drive that culminated in a 14 yard WR Jakobi Meyers touchdown pass from QB Trevor Lawrence, and Little added the XP. Just before the end of the first quarter, Daniel Jones limped off the field with an Achilles injury after slipping on the wet turf, and was replaced with rookie QB Riley Leonard. The score remained 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones recovered a Jonathan Taylor fumble, and on the next play, Travis Etienne ran for a 28 yard touchdown, followed by Little’s XP. The Colts later added a 28 yard field goal by Blake Grupe, to narrow their deficit to 21-10. The Jags added a score late in the quarter as Trevor Lawrence found Tim Patrick in the end zone for an 8 yard touchdown pass, followed by Little’s XP. The Jaguars led 28-10 at halftime.
The Colts first drive of the third quarter ended with a 36 yard Blake Grupe field goal. The quarter ended with the Jaguars ahead 28-13.
Early in the fourth, Cam Little kicked a 35 yard field goal. The Jaguars later added a safety when DE Josh Hines-Allen sacked Riley Leonard in the end zone. Just a few plays later, Cam Little kicked a 48 yard field goal, to extend the Jags’ lead to 36-13. A Colts touchdown pass by Riley Leonard to WR Alec Pierce just before the two minute warning was overturned by officials, but Leonard later ran 6 yards up the middle for a touchdown, before missing the two-point conversion attempt. The final score was 36-19.
Trevor Lawrence finished with 244 passing yards and 2 TDs. Travis Etienne Jr. led the Jaguars’ rushing with 74 yards and 2 TDs. Brian Thomas Jr. was the leading receiver with 87 yards. Today’s attendance was 60,067.
During today’s game, Foye Oluokun reached 100 total tackles for his sixth consecutive season. He is one of six active players with 100+ tackles every season from 2020-24.
Foye Oluokun reached 100 total tackles for his sixth consecutive season. (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
The Jaguars face the New York Jets next week at EverBank Stadium on Dec. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Jaguars have two games on the road against the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts (again), before returning home for the final game of the season against the Tennessee Titans. Be sure to follow www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Orlando Magic delivered a dramatic finish at the Kia Center on Friday night, edging the Miami Heat 106–105 in a nail-biting showdown sealed only after Bam Adebayo’s jumper at the buzzer bounced off the rim.
Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat, Kia Center. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News
Franz Wagner led the charge with a game-high 32 points, attacking the rim relentlessly and providing the offensive spark Orlando needed in the final minutes. Jalen Suggs added 22 points, including a critical late-game layup that gave the Magic a five-point cushion with just over a minute remaining.
The victory marks Orlando’s seventh win in its last nine outings, continuing a strong stretch as the team gains momentum heading into the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
Banchero Returns, Provides Boost
Paolo Banchero made his long-awaited return after missing 10 games with a strained left groin. Though limited to 20 minutes, he contributed nine points and six rebounds, giving the Magic additional inside presence and energy.
Desmond Bane struggled from the field, finishing with five points on 2-for-16 shooting, but Orlando’s defensive effort helped compensate for the off night.
Heat Rally Too Late
Miami nearly stole the game in the final seconds behind Norman Powell’s 28 points, including two late layups that brought the Heat within one. Adebayo added a strong double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds, but his potential game-winner fell short.
The Heat played without Tyler Herro, who suffered a right big toe injury earlier in the week. Miami has now lost three of its last four following a previous six-game winning streak.
Rematch on the Horizon
The Magic and Heat will meet again Tuesday night at the Kia Center in an NBA Cup quarterfinal showdown. With emotions high and both teams showing playoff-level intensity, another thriller may be on deck.
Up Next:
Heat: Host Sacramento on Saturday night.
Magic: Travel to New York to face the Knicks on Sunday.
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J Willie David, III | Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
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