Andres Rodriguez | Contributing Writer
The FIU men’s basketball team is traveling to Huntsville, Alabama to take on the first seeded Sam Houston Bearkats in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championships on Wednesday March 13, 2024.
Entering this matchup, the Panthers bolster an 11-21 overall record and hold the ninth seed in the tournament. They hold last place due to their 5-11 conference record, which put them in last place of the CUSA standings.
In their previous game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Tuesday March 12, FIU upset the higher seeded opponent and emerged victorious with a 76-67 win. Through the electrifying play of multiple players, the team was able to advance to the quarterfinals.
Vs. JSU:
To begin the game, the Panthers struggled to find offensive consistency and failed to connect on four of their first five shot attempts. Unable to help themselves defensively, they allowed their opponent to crash the offensive boards throughout the opening quarter.
Within the game’s first six minutes, they allowed redshirt sophomore center Mason Nicholson to pull down four offensive rebounds. His efforts on the backboard provided JSU with multiple second chance opportunities and helped supplement an early 12-4 lead.
Undeterred by the rising disadvantage on the scoreboard, graduate student guard Dante Wilcox drove into the lane and converted on a layup. After scoring through contact, his basket cut the lead to two points and brought the score 12-10.
Senior Forward Juwan Perdue responded immediately and scored seven consecutive points in the span of three possessions. His scoring helped the Gamecocks jump out to a 23-12 lead with 8:29 remaining in the first half.
Over the remainder of the half, FIU chipped away from behind and attempted to cut into their opponent’s lead. As the clock ticked down, senior guard Javaunte Hawkins knocked down a 3-pointer that beat the buzzer and cut the deficit to four points before halftime.
Going into the break, the Panthers faced a 37-33 disadvantage but had built momentum through their two-way play. Unphased by their previous mistakes, they looked to complete their comeback effort and rally from behind.
After JSU built a nine point lead, sophomore guard Arturo Dean and junior guard Jaidon Lipscomb each made a 3-pointer to bring the score to 42-39. Over the next five minutes, both teams exchanged blows and matched each other’s offensive production.
With 12:23 left in the second half, junior guard Jaden Grant drove into the paint and converted a layup. His basket gave FIU their first lead of the game since they led 2-0 and pushed the score to 51-50.
However, their lead was short-lived, as the Gamecocks knocked down a 3-pointer on their next possession and reclaimed the lead. Through the remainder of the game, neither team gave each other any room on the scoreboard and they exchanged leads.
Holding a 70-67 advantage with 1:07 remaining, Hawkins connected on a dagger from 3-point distance and gave the Panthers a six point lead. To put the game away, Dean was fouled but still scored on a fastbreak layup.
Following a late game offensive explosion, FIU was able to pull off an upset and claim a 76-67 victory over JSU. After fighting from behind for almost the entire game, they showed their resilience and completed the comeback in a win or go home matchup.
Dean acted as the heartbeat of the team’s two-way efforts and finished with 21-points on the night. Beyond his contribution in the scoring column, he also accumulated six assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Outside of Dean, both Hawkins and junior guard Petar Krivokapic were the Panthers’ only other players to finish with double-digit scoring figures. Hawkins collected 14-points and stabilized the team’s perimeter shooting, as he made four of his eight 3-point attempts.
Krivokapic came off the bench and led the team’s secondary unit in scoring. He provided the team with a consistent third option throughout the entire game, as he finished with 11-points, three rebounds, and shot 66.67% from 3-point distance.
Although FIU pulled away with the win, they were outrebounded by the Gamecocks 36-23 on the night. A large portion of their opponent’s rebounds came on the offensive boards, as they pulled down 13-offensive rebounds in total.
Looking to carry their momentum forward, the Panthers are set to face off with the first seeded Sam Houston Bearkats in the quarterfinals of the CUSA Championships.
Vs. SHSU:
Coming into this matchup, the Bearkats hold a 20-11 season record and earned the top seed in the tournament due to a 13-3 conference record. In their previous game against JSU on Saturday, March. 9, they took an 81-73 win and ended the regular season on a seven game win streak.
Among four double-digit scorers, senior forward Souleymane Doumbia led the team’s offensive attack and finished with 22-points. Outside of his scoring production, he also pulled down 11-rebounds and provided them with stability on the boards.
When FIU and SHSU last met on Feb. 15, 2024, the Bearkats emerged victorious and took a 70-56 win. Junior guard Lamar Wilkerson led their offensive attack and finished with a team-high 14-points.
Despite the loss, sophomore guard Jayden Brewer finished with a game-high 15-points and three steals. Beyond his efforts, Lipscomb was the only other Panther to finish within double-digit scoring figures, as he finished with 10-points on 3-9 shooting.
If FIU wishes to pull off an upset against the highest seeded team in the tournament, they must play stout defense and shut down their opponent’s perimeter shooting. The Bearkats shot 69.2% from 3-point distance in their most recent game and have demonstrated the capability to make a high volume of perimeter shots.
While their performance from their season finale is far beyond their 35.5%-3-point percentage this season, it showed that they will punish defenders for open shots. Properly contesting shots and grabbing rebounds will be essential for the Panthers to take a win.
Advancing to the quarterfinals of the CUSA Championships, the FIU men’s basketball team is taking on the Sam Houston Bearkats on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Propst Arena and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
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