FGCU vs. Fairleigh Dickinson: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2016

The Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles bludgeoned the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, 96-65, in the East Region's No. 16 seed play-in game Tuesday at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, to secure a spot in the round of 64 and set up a showdown with No. 1 seed North Carolina on Thursday. 

After snagging a spot in the field of 68 following their Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship, the Eagles got off to a rollicking start and pounded a smaller Knights lineup in the paint relentlessly en route to establishing a double-digit lead that never vanished. 

Marc-Eddy Norelia led the way with 20 points (10-of-11 shooting), 10 rebounds and five assists. Christian Terrell posted 14 points, and Demetris Morant chipped in 10 points. 

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All told, FGCU shot 59.6 percent from the field as it lived below the free-throw line. However, interior dominance against a less physical Knights squad was hardly surprising considering FGCU entered Tuesday night scoring 61 percent of its points on two-point field goals, according to ESPN College BBall on Twitter. 

While the Eagles may not be the Dunk City bunch that made a miraculous run during the 2013 NCAA tournament, Florida Gulf Coast got things started off in familiar fashion: 

Thanks in part to the big-time slam, the Eagles opened Tuesday's play-in game on an 11-0 run and never looked back, as ESPN Stats & Info documented on Twitter: 

While Fairleigh Dickinson looked to get out in transition and run against an FGCU offense that finished the regular season ranked just 182nd in adjusted offensive efficiency, per kenpom.com, the Eagles stymied the Knights and maintained an edge by posting a 52-33 rebounding advantage. 

In the midst of FGCU's torrid start, Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis offered an explanation for FDU's shortcomings: 

The Knights went on to shoot 32.9 percent from the field, as Earl Potts Jr. and Marques Townes led the way with 16 and 13 points, respectively. 

Fairleigh Dickinson made some inroads in the second half behind strong three-point shooting and FGCU's careless play, but the Eagles used long-range shooting to pick apart a shaky zone defense, ultimately sending the Knights packing. 

If there's bad news for Florida Gulf Coast moving forward, it's that North Carolina sits on the other end of the defensive efficiency spectrum from FDU. While the Knights rank 335th out of 351 teams in adjusted defensive efficiency, per kenpom.com, UNC ranks 16th. Considering the Eagles committed 18 turnovers on Tuesday and were quite sloppy at times, they won't be able to attack the Tar Heels defense with the same careless approach.

Florida Gulf Coast also needs to correct its free-throw-shooting woes in a hurry. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, the Eagles shot just 20-of-34 from the charity stripe, repeatedly giving away free points. 

Since the Tar Heels also wield the nation's fourth-ranked offense when it comes to adjusted efficiency, per kenpom.com, the Eagles can't afford to squander easy offensive opportunities. 

If they do, a blowout could be in order.  

Postgame Reaction

Florida Gulf Coast's official Twitter account celebrated the victory by sharing a video of the team's locker room celebration: 

"We pick up a dribble, we threw a couple of sloppy passes, and then the other thing we weren't being aggressive once we did break the press," FGCU head coach Joe Dooley of his team's inconsistent play, per Scout.com's Liam Jones. "We said don't settle, let's drive it downhill if we can and be aggressive. I thought once we did it a little bit later we were much better."

"We're just going to stay confident and believe in ourselves and give it our best effort," Norelia said, per Jones. "Anything can happen. As long as we do what Coach says, I'm pretty sure we can make it happen, if it's possible."

Like the victors, Fairleigh Dickinson maintained a positive attitude in the post-game locker room. 

"My guys are still champions," FDU coach Greg Herenda said, per the Northeast Conference's Ron Ratner. "The fact remains were still the third-youngest team in the nation. Tonight we played like that."

"Our goal we just made in the locker room is to come back here (to NCAAs) and win a game," Herenda added, per Ratner.