Panthers Meet Eagles for Game on Home Territory

By Dalton Tevlin/Assistant Sports Director

The FIU men’s basketball team will be playing against the University of Southern Mississippi, their Conference USA rival, at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31.

The Panthers have a home game record of 7-2, but as a whole, the team has a 13-7 record this season.

FIU is also ranked fifth in their offensive scoring in the entire nation. The team has been scoring 88.4 points per game,with the Panthers also ranking first in the most steals per game throughout the nation, according to National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Senior guard Brian Beard Jr. leads the scorers with an average of 19.4 points per game throughout the season.

Forward Osasumwen Osaghae has been a leader in the Panthers’ defensive team. The junior has been averaging 2.8 blocks per game.

The Panthers will be going against USM guard Cortez Edwards. The senior has averaged 13.3 points per game for the season.

USM and FIU will go head-to-head in a battle of defensive and offensive plays. USM ranks fourth in the nation for the most turnovers per game, according to the NCAA, so FIU will be looking for as many opportunities as they can to steal the ball from the Golden Eagles.

The Panthers are 3-3 in the conference and need to maintain a good record in order to participate in March Madness. This game is going to be played after the Panthers’ home game against Florida Atlantic University on Saturday, Jan. 26.

If you’re interested in watching the game, current FIU students can attend for free. Tickets can be bought online at https://fiusports.com. FIU alumni can purchase tickets online for a discount price using the code “GoPanthers”.