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With the top of the Atlantic Sun standings tightening up down the final stretch, Florida Gulf Coast took home a vital road win over USC Upstate while ETSU stayed hot and defeated Stetson.
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 84 - 80 USC Upstate Spartans
After falling flat in Johnson City, FGCU opened up strong with a 12-0 run against USC Upstate on Saturday. The Spartans however, charged back with a run of their own to find themselves with a 41-38 lead at halftime.
Led by Ricardo Glenn's power inside (24 points, 11 rebounds), Upstate was able to stay close. They snagged 15 offensive boards on the day, leading to 18 second chance points. Half of their points (40) were also scored in the paint.
The Eagles kept Upstate at bay throughout the second half, never allowing them to get too close. Bernard Thompson, en route to his 24 points, tallied 18 after the break to keep the Eagles soaring. Jamail Jones also found a little bit of his outside shot and scored 14 points. If the former Marquette transfer can produce with consistency, FGCU is scarier than before.
FGCU, 11-3 in the Atlantic Sun, have a bout with first place Mercer on Friday, and USC Upstate takes on Stetson in a rescheduled game on Monday.
ETSU Bucs 93 - 66 Stetson Hatters
After taking it to FGCU on Thursday, ETSU continued their recent hot streak on Saturday night. The hot shooting Rashawn Rembert poured in 21 points from 7/10 shooting (and 5/7 from beyond the arc). In his last two games, the junior guard has shot 11 for 19 from three point land.
On senior night the Bucs opened up strong and never took their foot off the accelerator. A.J Merriweather's double double of 13 points and 10 rebounds led ETSU's domination on the boards (38-22). They were aggressive, driving into the paint and going to the line 29 times on the night.
A bright spark for the Hatters was Hunter Miller, whose 9 points all came late in the first half and kept the Hatters somewhat close. Stetson now falls to 5-8 in the Atlantic Sun with USC Upstate on Monday.
With that win, ETSU now has a half game lead for third place over USC Upstate. They head to Jacksonville on Thursday.
