Norelia's energy lifts FGCU past Nova Southeastern, slow start

(via Captive Photons)

A sluggish start from the Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball team had Eagles fans anxiously squirming in their seats. When would they see the Dunk City squad that was predicted to dominate the conference and return to the NCAA Tournament?

"In the first half we were frustrated. We weren't running our offense the way we wanted to, and defensively we were giving up way too many easy layups and shots," said senior guard Brett Comer.

Well, the Eagles' first dunk came with 6:31 left in the first half when Brett Comer threw a lob to athletic UNLV transfer Demetris Morant. It got Alico Arena on its feet, and it sparked the Eagles as well; they went on a 9-2 run to end the half.

Once FGCU had the momentum on their side, both Jamail Jones and Marc-Eddy Norelia made sure they kept the foot on the gas pedal. The two transfers were flying all over the floor, as they racked up a combined 33 points and 23 rebounds.

"His energy level was great in the second half, rebounding the ball with two hands...a big offensive putback to give us some room," Coach Dooley said of Norelia. "It took him a little while to ease into it, but we've seen it for the last year, he's had great energy for us everyday."

Also proving to be a tenacious defender alongside Jones and Norelia was freshman guard Christian Terrell. Despite a few silly turnovers, which is to be expected in his first collegiate game, the Jacksonville native racked up 7 points on 3/5 shooting.

"He made a big shot in the first half to give us a little momentum. He's very actively defensively, you saw he had a couple deflections," Dooley said. "It's just a learning process and I think one of the things that helps him is having the senior guards."

Speaking of newcomers (it's quite a theme here in Dunk City), Auburn transfer Brian Greene Jr. took over the point guard duties when Brett Comer needed a breather. Meanwhile, former UNLV forward finished the day with 2 points, on his lone dunk; he looked a little tense and dropped a few easy passes and rebounds.

Players Missing: Julian DeBose (three game suspension), Logan Hovey (foot), Nate Hicks (ACL)