Georgia Southern University
2-1,0-0Sun Belt
Florida Gulf Coast
1-2,0-0ASUN
White's 20-Point Effort Boosts Georgia Southern Over Florida Gulf Coast
11/11/2025 9:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nakavieon White scored 20 points and Georgia Southern (2-1) survived a last-second surge to edge Florida Gulf Coast (1-2), 95-94, on Tuesday night at Alico Arena.
White shot 8-for-11 from the field and sank three 3-pointers as the Eagles topped 90 points for the second consecutive contest. Tyren Moore and Spudd Webb added 17 points apiece, while Alden Applewhite tacked on 11 more.
Georgia Southern shot 69 percent in the second half and hit 9-of-17 from beyond the arc while forcing 13 turnovers. Both sides were tied 42-42 at halftime before Georgia Southern pushed ahead behind a flurry of threes from Moore and White. FGCU closed within one on a late layup, but Georgia Southern held on as time expired.
The Eagles return to the friendly confines of the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center on Friday evening, hosting Johnson C. Smith. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After Florida Gulf Coast scored the first four points of the contest, Jefferson Koulibaly went up and under to score the first bucket of the game for Georgia Southern.
- At the first media timeout of the game, the Eagles trailed 12-8, with Koulibaly leading all scorers. Georgia Southern also forced three early Florida Gulf Coast turnovers with just over 12 minutes to play in the first half.
- The combination of Nakavieon White and Khayri Dunn gave the Eagles their first lead of the evening, knocking down two threes and a breakaway dunk, to use a 10-0 run, 18-14.
- An 8-0 run extended the Eagles' lead to 32-25, before Florida Gulf Coast knocked down a three-pointer to end the stretch at the under four media timeout.
- At the break, the Eagles and Florida Gulf Coast were tied at 42, as Georgia Southern shot 16-for-32 from the field and 4-for-5 from the stripe. Georgia Southern was able to force 10 Florida Gulf Coast turnovers in the first half, including seven steals and a season-high three blocks.
- Out of the half, Andres Burney tallied a steal before Spudd Webb got to the free-throw line and converted one of two. Alden Applewhite and Webb knocked down a pair of threes to push the Eagles' lead to 48-44.
- Georgia Southern, led by back-to-back three-pointers from Tyren Moore, stretched its lead to 78-66 following a 13-2 run before the second-to-last media timeout.
- With just under a minute to play in the game, Alden Applewhite knocked down a three-pointer to extend the Georgia Southern lead to 93-87, becoming the fifth Eagle in double figures Tuesday.
NOTES
- Jefferson Koulibaly made his first start for the Eagles on Tuesday, posting nine points in the Eagles' victory.
- Redshirt senior Nakavieon White came off the bench for the Eagles, scoring a season-high 20 points, including 3-for-5 from deep. He finished with an 8-for-11 line from the field, 1-for-1 from the stripe, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- The Eagles' 42 first-half points were tied for the most this season, matching the 42 scored at East Carolina in the opener.
- Graduate guard Tyren Moore recorded a 17-point effort, shooting 50 percent from the field, while shooting 10 three-pointers in the contest. He added a pair of free throws to his line, grabbed five boards, tossed three dimes, and recorded one steal.
- A season-high five Eagles went for double-digits on Tuesday, as Nakavieon White (20), Tyren Moore (17), Spudd Webb (17), Alden Applewhite (11), and Andres Burney (10) all contributed to the winning effort.
- Georgia Southern continued to take away the basketball against Florida Gulf Coast, posting its third consecutive contest with 10-plus steals. The Eagles forced FGCU into 13 total turnovers on the night.
- On the night, Georgia Southern produced 36 points in the paint, received 31 bench points, and tallied 21 points off 13 FGCU turnovers.
- The 95 points scored on Tuesday evening were the most by the Eagles under head coach Charlie Henry. It marks the second consecutive game that Georgia Southern has scored 90-plus points, all being in regulation.
- The Eagles shared the ball against Florida Gulf Coast, recording a season-high 14 assists in the win.
UP NEXT
- Georgia Southern returns home to the friendly confines of the Jack and Ruth Ann Convocation Center for a matchup with Johnson C. Smith. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
