Team prepares for final games of the regular season

By Malcolm Shields/ Staff Writer

malcolm.shields@fiusm.com

Phil Taylor (left) and Isiah Thomas were ejected against UALR on Feb 16.

Mired in a four game losing streak, the Panthers return home to U.S. Century Bank Arena to conclude its regular season schedule with contests against Troy on Feb. 23 and South Alabama on Feb. 25. Although playing at home has been anything but an advantage for the Panthers this season, the Panthers have defeated both Troy and South Alabama on the road this season.

FIU enters the game with a 1-8 record at home. With the regular season coming to a close, the Panthers must find a way to right themselves before the conference tournament.

“We don’t have no other choice,” Dominique Ferguson said. “[We] have to bounce back.”

In the Panthers first meeting against Troy (8-17, 3-11 SBC) on Feb. 2, FIU relied on a 17-5 run in the second half to defeat the Trojans 63-50. The catalyst for that run was guard DeJuan Wright, who scored seven of the Panthers’ 17 points in that game-defining run. Defensively the Panthers held Troy’s leading scorer, Will Weathers, to three points in the game Wright finished the game with 18 points and 13 rebounds in the first meeting.

Since losing to FIU, the Trojans have dropped three of its last four games in conference play. Weathers, Justin Wright and Alan Jones have carried the offensive load for the Trojans in their last four games. Combined, the trio has averaged 37 points per game for the Troy in the last four games.

 Thomas’ Suspension

With 13:03 remaining in the game against UALR on Feb. 16, coach Thomas was ejected from the game for making contact with an official while arguing a foul on Ferguson. According to the television broadcast by the Sun Belt Network, official Brad Gaston is overheard stating to broadcast commentator Dave Odom, “He is ejected because he hit me on the back.”

In college basketball, the penalty of an automatic technical foul and ejection is assessed if contact is made with an official. An attempt was made to appeal Thomas’ one game suspension to the Sun Belt Conference but the ruling was upheld; forcing Thomas to miss the Arkansas State game on Feb. 18. Thomas was unavailable for comment after the Arkansas State game.

Taking the Reigns

Because FIU (7-19, 4-10 SBC) will be without the services of point guard Phil Taylor on Feb. 23 against Troy because of his ejection for two technical fouls against Arkansas State, freshman guard Deric Hill will be the probable starter in place of Taylor. Although not the scorer that Taylor is, head coach Isiah Thomas has credited Hill for his ability to be a facilitating point guard when called into action.

“He moves the team,” Thomas said after the Feb. 11 game against Denver. Hill made his first start of the season against UALR. In 32 minutes, Hill scored four points and registered two assists against the Trojans.