Sunday, January 21, 2018
Eagles Basketball, Once Again!!
With Billy Knight
The Florida
Gulf Coast University men's basketball team won its fourth
consecutive basketball game last week. They have a perfect 3-o record
in their Atlantic Sun Conference. Prior to conference play, their
record was 11-8.
The Eagles dominated
from start to finish, as they easily defeated the team from the
University of South Carolina, Upstate. Coach Joe Dooley attributes
much of the team's success to defensive play. “We really spread the
floor and shared the ball tonight. But it all started on the
defensive end again. We held Upstate to just 19 per cent from the
floor in the first half. Those defensive stops set the tone for us,
and allowed us to get out and run.”
The Eagles finished
with a 20-9 edge in fastbreak points. They also committed just 11
turnovers, their fewest in nine games.
Guard Zach Johnson led
the Eagles with 17 points, adding six assists. Dinero Mercurius had
13 points, including 3 baskets from outside the 3 point line. The
Eagles shot 49 percent from the floor. The Spartans shot 33 percent
from the floor. The Eagles had a 47-34 rebounding edge in the game.
The Eagles sent twelve
players to the court in the game including Darnell Rogers. There was
a buzz in the crowd when Rogers took the floor. He stands at 5' 2”,
and is the smallest Division One player in the country. His father,
Shawntra, also played D 1 basketball at George Washington University.
Other notable family
connections on the Eagles include Ryan McAdoo, son of Bob McAdoo.
McAdoo Senior is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame,
was a five time NBA All Star, and was the league MVP in 1975. Michael
Gilmore is the nephew of Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore.
I had the pleasure to
sit near Billy Knight, a fine player several years ago who spent most
of his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. Always a pleasure to chat
with veterans of the game, no matter what the game.
The Eagles go on the
road for three games, then return to the Alico Arena to face
Jacksonville on January 27th, and North Florida on the
29th. There were a few empty seats in the bleachers for
the game against the Spartans. As the season winds down, there will
be sellouts, and the crowd will be deafening.
Get your tickets early.
See you there!
# posted by James Hurst @ 8:51 AM 
