From the lowest lows to the highest highs, the FGCU men’s basketball team has tied themselves for first place in the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference after a 60-47 victory over the Queens (N.C.) Royals over the weekend. The Eagles have won four straight, all at home, and avenged their only loss over the last eight games.
Forward Keeshawn Kellman led the Eagles with 21 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Guard Jevin Muniz also filled the stat sheet with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Even though the team only managed to shoot 5-for-21 from three-point range for the game, Muniz and Kellman combined to shoot an efficient 4-for-6 from behind the arc.
“I go into every matchup with the same mentality,” Kellman said. “Just do what it takes to win, and it was me being aggressive today.”
The Eagles came out in the first half ready to make a statement in a game with significant implications for the top of the ASUN leaderboard. Kellman dominantly started the game, backing his defender down in the paint twice in a row for a dunk and a layup.
He followed up those two buckets down low with a three-pointer from the top of the key. His seven points out of the gate got the crowd roaring and powered FGCU to a 40-19 halftime lead.
It was a second-half struggle for the Eagles as its consistent shooting dropped from 15-25 (60%) to 8-28 (28.6%). However, their 40-point first half proved crucial in holding the lead. As has been the case for nearly every game during this win streak, FGCU outscored Queens 30-to-20 in the paint and out-rebounded them 37-to-32.
The team’s ability to get inside the paint and make close-range shots when the three-pointers weren’t falling kept Queens from closing the gap on the scoreboard. The Eagles also won the turnover battle, with eight compared to Queens’ nine, committed fewer fouls, and got more assists.
The defensive end of the court was another significant factor in FGCU’s win. Queens scored 92 points on 31-for-60 shooting and 12-for-29 from behind the arc the last time these two teams met. This time, the Eagles held them to just 16-for-55 shooting from the field and only 5-for-26 from three-point range. That marked a near 25% drop in three-point percentage and a 22% drop in overall field goal percentage.
“They’ve been beating us for the last few years, so it was nice to come out and really execute our defensive game plan,” FGCU coach Pat Chambers said. “We really defended the rebound of the first half and we made shots in the first half. The hardest thing to do in the game is defend and rebound when you’re not making shots.”
FGCU looks to extend its winning streak to five on the road against Bellarmine on Thursday, Jan. 23, to start its three-game road trip.
