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FORT MYERS, Fla. – A two-game road trip to Florida in January begins for the Eastern Kentucky men's basketball team with a contest at Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday in Fort Myers.
 
The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN+.  The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, and can be heard worldwide on EKUSports.com.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  This is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
THE COLONELS
-  Eastern Kentucky is 10-10 overall and riding a two-game winning streak.  The Colonels improved to 2-4 in the ASUN Conference after beating North Florida, 67-58, at home on Saturday.
 
-  Devontae Blanton finished with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting against North Florida.  He also had nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
 
-  Russhard Cruickshank dished out a career-best eight assists against UNF.  He surpassed his previous high of seven set earlier this season against Midway.
 
-  Eastern Kentucky and Florida Gulf Coast combine to hit 22.7 three-pointers per game this season.  EKU is first in the ASUN, and fourth in the nation, in 3-pointers per game (12.10).  Florida Gulf Coast is eighth in the NCAA with 10.6 three's per game.
 
-  The Colonels are second in the ASUN Conference and are 58th in the country in 3-point field goal percentage defense this season at 30.5 percent (134-of-440).  Florida Gulf Coast has allowed opponents to shoot 35 percent from 3-point range, 10th in the ASUN and 261st nationally.
 
-  EKU leads the nation in steals (222), is third in steals per game (11.10/game), fourth in turnovers forced (18.65) and fourth in turnover margin (+6.05).  FGCU is 10th in the league and 296th in the country in turnover margin (-1.95).
 
-  Four Colonels rank in the top-3 in the ASUN in steals.  Jomaru Brown (1.78) leads the conference, Cooper Robb (1.70) is second, Michael Moreno (1.50) and Braxton Beverly (1.50) are tied for third.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Florida Gulf Coast is 12-8 overall and 2-4 in ASUN Conference play.  The Eagles are 1-4 in their last five games.   
 
-  FGCU fell at Jacksonville State, 79-71, on Saturday.  Tavian Dunn-Martin scored 17 points and handed out eight assists, while Kevin Samuel finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.  The Eagles shot 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from long range.
 
-  Dunn-Martin was chosen as the ASUN Newcomer of the Week on Monday and has been selected as the conference player of the week twice this season.  The 5-foot-8 guard leads the team in scoring (19.6 ppg) and assists (5.9 apg).  He leads the ASUN in assists and is second in scoring.  The transfer from Duquesne has shot 40 percent from the field and attempted 114 more shots than anyone else on the team.  Dunn-Martin is 87-for-100 at the free throw stripe.
 
-  Samuel, a 6-foot-11 center who transferred from TCU, is the team's top rebounder (9.6 rpg) and second leading scorer (11.1 ppg).  He has made 66 percent of his shots from the field, but is 21-for-65 at the foul line (32 percent).  He also leads the squad in blocks (3.0 bpg).  Samuel leads the league in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks.
 
-  As a team, FGCU averages 77 points per game and allows 73 per contest.  The Eagles have combined to hit 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from behind the 3-point line.
 
-  Florida Gulf Coast has attempted 592 three-pointers, which is second-most in the ASUN behind Eastern Kentucky.  FGCU averages 10.6 made treys per game.