North Alabama beats FGCU for 1st D-I win of season
FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — Tavon King scored 15 points, Kendarius Smith added 13 points and North Alabama beat Florida Gulf Coast 61-56 on Tuesday night for its first win of the season against a Division I team.
Cantavio Dutreil had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Jamari Blackmon dished six assists for the Lions (4-13, 1-1 Atlantic Sun Conference), who held the Eagles to 35-percent shooting and ended a six-game skid.
The Lions pulled ahead 38-33 on Kendall Stafford's layup and they twice led by seven before the Eagles regained the lead, 54-53, on Schadrac Casimir's free throws with 1:58 to go.
King's 3 and Christian Agnew's two free throws put the Lions up 58-54, but Decardo Day's free throws made it a two-point game with 41 seconds left. Blackmon and Dutreil combined for three free throws from there and Scott missed a 3 with six seconds left.
Day scored a career-high 20 points and Casimir added 13 for the Eagles (5-12, 0-2), who have lost four straight.
