Lee Today

Despite a 20-point effort from senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue), the FGCU men's basketball team (14-9 overall, 4-6 ASUN Conference) dropped a 74-57 decision to Liberty on Saturday night at Liberty Arena.

Thompson went 7-of-12 from the field, and made four of FGCU's eight 3-pointers, in the setback – FGCU's third straight loss and fifth of the last six games. He added three rebounds.

Sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond) scored 14 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) added 10 points for the Green & Blue – which was held to 36 percent (9-for-25) from the field in the second half.

The Flames (18-5, 9-1) got a game-high 24 points from redshirt senior Darius McGhee, who led the ASUN at 20.9 points per game entering Saturday's play. Senior forward Kyle Rode went for 16 points, senior forward Shilo Robinson dropped 14 points, and redshirt freshman forward Blake Preston recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

"We have to keep getting better," said FGCU head men's basketball coach Pat Chambers. "We are showing flashes of who we can become in March!"

FGCU hung tough with the ASUN-leading Flames throughout the first 20 minutes. Although an 11-4 Liberty run made it 30-13 with 7:39 remaining in the first half, Weir made back-to-back jumpers and Thompson nailed a 3 and another jumper in a 9-2 burst to cut it to 23-22 at the 5:23 mark.

The Eagles continued to pressure the Flames in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,007, as Thompson hit a running jumper and Weir made two free throws for a 31-30 lead with 1:25 remaining in the half. Thompson again buried a triple with six seconds to go to cut Liberty's lead to a single point, but Rode answered with a 3 at the halftime horn to make it 38-34.

Winners of six straight, Liberty showed why it is atop the ASUN standings early in the second half – rattling off scoring runs of 5-0, 7-0 and 8-0 to build a 21-point lead with 8:02 remaining. Despite shooting 50 percent in the first half (16 of 32 from the floor), FGCU could only muster nine points in those first 12 minutes.

FGCU didn't quit, however, as Thompson and Anderson each hit 3s in an 8-0 burst to cut the deficit to 13 with 6:46 to play, and graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) provided his own 4-0 run with buckets on consecutive possessions to cut it to 11 with 3:37 remaining. But the Eagles would score just three points in the final three minutes of the game as Liberty pulled away for the final margin.

Liberty finished with a  38-22 rebounding advantage, and scored 44 points in the paint to FGCU's 18.

The Green & Blue return home to Alico Arena for a two-game homestand beginning Thursday, taking on Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. FGCU also faces North Alabama at 7 p.m. Saturday in The Nest. Liberty hits the road Thursday, playing at Austin Peay. 

Original source can be found here.