FGCU defeats Marist, 58-43, in DeBose's debut

(Courtesy of Captive Photons)

By: Cameron J. Kaiser

It wasn’t pretty at times tonight, but the Eagles are 4-0 for the first time in the Division 1 era. FGCU took on the Marist Red Foxes tonight in their first of three games in the Gulf Coast Showcase, and won by a final score of 58-43.

Despite being a solid defensive team that thrives in the Princeton-zone set, Marist did not have a primary source of offense due to injuries to their starting backcourt.

Even with the loss of senior Jamail Jones due to a three game suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules, this was the type of game that seemed destined to be blowout in the Eagles favor. 

FGCU got off to a rough start against the Red Foxes, making only one field goal in the first six minutes of the game. Marist led 11-4 all the way till the 10:15 mark in the first half when a jumper from Bernard Thompson ignited a 10-0 run that was capped off by a monster dunk from Marc-Eddy Norelia with two Marist defenders draped on his back. However, FGCU was not able to keep the pace up and pull away. As unlikely as it seemed, the Eagles went into the half with the score tied at 21.

Whatever FGCU head coach Joe Dooley said to his crew at halftime must’ve worked, because the Eagles came out looking like the team we have seen for much of the first three games.

Fresh off his three-game suspension, red-shirt junior Julian DeBose got the scoring started for FGCU in the second half with a corner three for his first bucket as an Eagle, then followed that up with a monster put-back, and-one dunk for an old fashioned three-point play. FGCU went on a 13-0 run to start the half, and never took their foot off the gas pedal.

From then on, the game became a showcase for FGCU to show off why they’re known as Dunk City. Sophomore Demetris Morant had a high flying jam courtesy of a nice inside pass from Norelia to push the lead 18, then sophomore Brett Comer brought the house down with a two handed jam off a fast break that he started with a steal.

DeBose, who led the Eagles with 15 points, closed the casket on the Red Foxes with a steal on an inbounds pass that led to an exuberant dunk with 50 seconds left. FGCU outscored Marist 37 to 22 in the second half.

“From the beginning we turned it over, we missed some easy ones around the rim, and then we got sped up and took some poor shots,” said coach Dooley in regards to his team’s slow start. “I thought that once we settled down and got the ball to the high post, once we settled in offensively we played a little bit better.”

The Eagles will play the winner of Hawaii against San Francisco on Tuesday night at 8:30. Both teams are considered much better than Marist, so FGCU can’t afford to get off to another slow start.

When asked if FGCU will come out with a higher level of energy on Tuesday, Brett Comer responded, “I think we have to. We will lose if we don’t come out with more energy.

FGCU is the first team in the Atlantic Sun conference to start 4-0 since Central Florida in 2004.