Panther Preview: FIU Men’s Basketball Looks To Snap Losing Streak

FIU’s men’s basketball team will face the Charlotte 49ers in North Carolina this upcoming weekend on Friday at 6 p.m. and on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Last season, FIU split their series with Charlotte by scores of 49-75 in January and 67-52 in March. The Panthers have a slight edge over the 49ers historically, with the series record at 5-4 since their first meeting in 2014.

The Panthers have an 8-8 overall record, with a 2-6 record in Conference USA, placing them second to last out of the seven teams in the Eastern division. FIU is currently on a five game losing streak, starting with their loss against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on January 9th.

The 49ers are one position higher than FIU in the Eastern division, coming into the series with overall and C-USA records of 7-7 and 3-3, respectively. Six of their seven losses were at home, so the Panthers will hope to take advantage. 

FIU’s offense has been very effective, becoming the fourth best offense in C-USA, led by junior guard Antonio Daye Jr, who is averaging 17.4 points per game. Their leading rebounder is senior forward Dimon Carrigan, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game.  

Sophomore guard Jahmir Young is the 49ers leading scorer, averaging 19.4 points per game. Charlotte has the second worst offense in C-USA, despite Young being the third best scorer in the conference. 

Charlotte’s strength is their defense and rebounding. They rank top 5 in the conference in both categories. Young is also their leading rebounder this season. Senior guard Jordan Shepherd leads the 49ers in assists, steals, and blocks. 

Either team would benefit greatly from winning this series, as it could give them some much needed momentum.

Both games can be watched on ESPN+.