BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky (February 9, 2018) – The FIU men's basketball team closes out its two-game road trip on Saturday, Feb. 10, when the Panthers travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to face WKU in another critical Conference USA contest. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will be televised live on Fox College Sports with Randy Lee and Hal Schmitt calling the action. FIU comes into the WKU game having won two of its last three games and are 3-3 in its last six outings. Saturday's game is the second of three-straight that the Panthers will play on the road – their longest C-USA road stretch of the season – and the second of five games that FIU will play on the road in its final seven regular season games.
Trejon Jacob led four players in double figures in the Panthers 76-66 loss at Marshall on Thursday night. Jacob scored 16 points – while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds – and
Josh Stamps tied his career-best with 15 points off the bench
Eric Lockett and
Brian Beard, Jr. added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Beard, Jr. leads the Panthers in scoring, averaging 16.2 points-per-game. He leads four players in double figures in the scoring column for FIU, along with
Trejon Jacob (14.8 ppg) and
Eric Lockett (14.1 ppg) who are second and third, respectively.
Josh Stamps rounds out the double-digit scorers with an 11.8 point-per-game average.
Beard, Jr., who is still among the nation's leaders in steals-per-game, averaging 3.1 per-outing, which is good enough for third in the nation (through Feb. 8), is the reigning C-USA Player of the Week, after averaging 21.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals last week against Southern Miss, and Louisiana Tech.
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 11-14 overall, 5-7 C-USA
Last Game: L, 76-66 at Marshall, February 8, 2018
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994
Career Record: 161-184/11th season
Record at FIU: 62-90/Fifth season
Top Players: Brian Beard, Jr. (16.2 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.1 spg),
Trejon Jacob (14.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
WKU HILLTOPPERS
Record: 17-7 overall, 9-2 C-USA
Last Game: W, 75-63 vs. Florida Atlantic, February 8, 2018
Head Coach: Rick Stansbury
Alma Mater: Campbellsville, 1981
Career Record: 325-190/16th season
Record at school: 32-24/Second season
Top Players: Darius Thompson (14.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Justin Johnson (13.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg)
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: Fox College Sports
Randy Lee (Play-by-play)
Hal Schmitt (Color commentator)
Radio/Audio: FIUSports.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: WKU leads series, 33-7
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, call the WKU athletic ticket office at (270) 745-5222
SCOUTING WKU
- WKU comes into Saturday with a 17-7 record and a, 9-2 record in Conference USA ... WKU is currently tied for second in Conference USA with Old Dominion ... The Hilltoppers defeated Florida Atlantic on Thursday, 75-63, and have won 10 of their last 12 games.
- Darius Thompson leads WKU in scoring, averaging 14.2 points-per-game, while Justin Thompson is second on the team, netting 13.9 points-per-outing and a team-high 9.6 rebounds-per-game.
THE SERIES AGAINST THE HILLTOPPERS
- WKU holds a commanding 33-7 lead in the all-time series ... FIU had one win vacated (Feb. 26, 2005, 79-77) due to NCAA sanctions.
- The Panthers have lost five of their last seven games, against the Hilltoppers, and 13 of their last 16 ... FIU last handed WKU a 75-72 loss on Jan. 7, 2016, in Bowling Green, Kentucky ... Prior to the 2015-16 season, FIU's last win was an 87-82 victory on Feb. 16, 2013 at FIU Arena.
UP NEXT FOR FIU
Following Saturday's game, FIU will get a week off before facing C-USA rival Florida Atlantic on Feb. 17, at 2 p.m.
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