Keeshawn Kellman had a game-high 18 points as Florida Gulf Coast University dropped a 67-51 decision at TCU Friday night in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We did a good job responding when we got down early and kept competing,” said FGCU head coach Pat Chambers. “Our defense was good. We just have to clean some things up and continue the process of getting better. Offensively, we need to take care of the basketball. Competing here was a great experience for our guys.”
Best-case scenario for the Eagles: Can the FGCU men’s basketball team win the ASUN in 2024?
FGCU trailed by as many as nine in the first half but stormed back to take a 29-24 lead. The Horned Frogs (2-0) scored the final five points of the opening 20 minutes to hold a slender 30-29 lead at the break. After a back-and-forth opening 13 minutes of the second half, the Eagles (0-2) were down by just a point, 47-46, with 7:02 remaining, but TCU (2-0) would go on a 20-5 run to close out the game.
Kellman was a strong 9-for-11 from the field and corralled nine rebounds. He scored 10 of his points in the first half, with many coming off feeds from teammates that found the sixth-year transfer wide open underneath. Six different Eagles had an assist in the game, led by Jevin Muniz’s five.
Points would be at a premium for most of the contest, as while Kellman was scoring down low, other shots weren’t falling for FGCU. However, TCU struggled to find the bottom of the basket as well. The Green and Blue forced 10 empty TCU possessions over 10 minutes of the second half, enabling the guests to stay close.
Muniz played a game-high 35 minutes and was FGCU’s second-leading scorer with 10. Michael Duax scored seven, with Dallion Johnson and Rory Stewart each netting six. Zavian McLean added four, combining with Stewart for FGCU’s 10 bench points.
Vasean Allette was the only Horned Frog in double-figures, scoring 14; however, six different players scored at least seven for the hosts to balance out the scoring. TCU also posted a 38-24 advantage in rebounds and made 11-of-14 from the charity stripe compared to FGCU’s 5-of-9.
The Eagles will open up Alico Arena for the 2024-25 season on Wednesday as St. Bonaventure visits for a 7 p.m. start.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: TCU Horned Frogs down FGCU Eagles in an NCAA men’s basketball game
