ORLANDO, Fla - They made a big comeback and played with a lot of heart, but in the end, there was no soaring in Orlando. The FGCU Eagles lost their first round NCAA game to Florida State 86-80 late Thursday night.
It's the second year in a row FGCU lost in the first round. The Seminoles, making their first tournament appearance since 2012, will now advance in the West Region.
Coach Joe Dooley said he was proud of his team, even in the loss.
"We competed hard, we just had some stretches where we didn't make shots and took some ill-advised shots," Dooley said.
As soon as the game ended, the team was already looking forward to the future.
"We see how close we are to being there," Christian Terrell, Freshman Guard, said.
"We are going to work hard because we don't want this feeling again," Kevin Mickle, Sophomore Foward, said.
Dwayne Bacon scored 25 points and Jonathan Isaac had 17 points to help boost the third-seeded Seminoles.
