Comeback effort comes up short in loss to WKU

By: Malcolm Shields / Staff Writer

malcolm.shields@fiusm.com

 The Panthers were in desperate need of a conference win on Jan. 28 against Western Kentucky. FIU did not make the situation easy for themselves. Down as much as 15 points in the second half, the Panthers struggled for most of the game shooting from the field. In the final six minutes, DeJuan Wright put the Panthers on his back, but it was not enough as the Hilltoppers captured a 61-51 victory at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

Wright finished as the leading scorer for FIU with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Dominique Ferguson followed with seven points for the Panthers.

“It was a good game for him,” Thomas said of Wright. “He was the one with a decent rhythm.”

“This is a baffling team,” Head Coach Isiah Thomas said. “I don’t know. The team practiced hard. For some reason we are not playing well at home.”

Late in the second half, Wright led the Panthers on a 7-2 run to trim the deficit to 49-42 with less than five minutes remaining in the second half. The Hilltoppers, who were led by TJ price and Jamal Crook was able to stem the Panthers offensive tide as the Hilltoppers offensive execution and free-throw shooting sealed the win.

For extended minutes in the second half reserve guard Deric Hill played critical minutes in place of Phil Taylor. “Deric came in and gave us a spark,” Thomas said.

In the final minutes, starters Ferguson, Allen and Taylor were on the bench for FIU (5-15, 2-6 SBC). “We had low energy,” Wright said. “[We] did not have enough effort to win this game”

After three consecutive games shooting over 40 percent from the field, the Panthers shot 32.1 percent from the field against Western Kentucky (7-15, 3-6 SBC). “They played a lot of man,” Ferguson said. “I missed a lot of point blank shots.”

The one constant for FIU was its defense. The Panthers held the Hilltoppers to 27.6 percent shooting from the field. “Defensively, when you play this well, you should win this game,” Thomas said.

The Panthers will embark on a two-game road-trip. Its next game is against Troy on Feb.2