GAME NOTES: The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles will attempt to remain unbeaten as they get set for the Marist Red Foxes in a non-conference clash as part of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena on Monday evening.

Marist has dropped its first two games of the season, losing on the road to Bucknell and then at home to Army, 76-62, in the team's most recent outing. The Foxes will seek their first win in the first round of the Gulf Coast Showcase.

Florida Gulf Coast has quickly run out to a 3-0 record on the young season, and will be going for a fourth win as the Eagles start up the tournament. FGCU is coming off a 79-62 win over the Mid-American Conference's Ohio University last Wednesday.

Marist opened the game against Army on a high note, connecting on 64 percent of its shot attempts from the floor, but the team could only made 2-of-6 from 3-point range. But things fell apart in the second half for the Red Foxes, who could only hit 23.1 percent of their field goal attempts as the Black Knights cruised to victory in the second frame. Chavaughn Lewis netted a team-high 21 points for Marist in the contest, adding five rebounds to his resume. Khallid Hart chipped in with 16 points, but it wasn't enough as the Red Foxes fell at home.

In two games this season, it's been Hart and Lewis who have led the way. Hart leads the squad with a 24.5 ppg mark, followed not too far behind by Lewis's 19.5 ppg average. Two very good scoring options there for the Foxes, but the drop off after those two players is significant. Phillip Lawrence is the next- highest scorer with 7.5 ppg for Marist, which is only averaging 67.0 ppg through two games played. The team is allowing opponents to score 75.5 ppg, but is holding those opponents to 39.2 percent shooting from the floor.

FGCU only needed to play one great half of basketball against Ohio last week, as the Eagles cruised to a 45-20 advantage at the intermission against the Bobcats behind 59.4 percent shooting in the opening frame. The Eagles also held Ohio to just 16.1 percent on its field goal tries in the first, which immediately buried the Bobcats. Bernard Thompson netted 34 points to pace FGCU, while Jamail Jones and Marc-Eddy Norelia each chipped in with 11 points in the win. Brett Comer dished out a team-best 10 assists in the win.

Thompson's 18.0 ppg average is the best among a group of four FGCU players that are netting double-digit point totals this season. Jones checks in behind Thompson at 14.0 ppg, Norelia chips in 13.7 ppg and Comer rounds them out with 13.0 ppg, adding a team-best 10.7 apg to his stat line. Jones leads the Eagles with a 9.0 rpg margin, followed closely by Norelia's 8.7 rpg average. The Eagles enter the game against Marist netting 74.3 ppg, and holding opponents to 62.7 ppg through three contests.

The Red Foxes have two of the better players in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference playing for them in Lewis and Hart, but the rest of the team needs to fill out for Marist to be successful this season. Now that Mercer is out of the Atlantic Sun Conference, the league is FGCU's for the taking, and it's looking good moving forward for the Eagles.