TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 22, 2011) --- The FIU men's basketball team suffered its third-straight loss, falling to Oral Roberts, 73-65, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, in the team's final game of the consolation round of the 2011 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off in Tulsa, Okla.     

"We played a lot better tonight," Head Coach Isiah Thomas said. "The kids played with great effort. We were in the game up until the final minutes. Unfortunately, we came up short. I have no problem with the effort that our kids gave tonight."

Trailing by eight points at halftime, FIU (1-3) battled back to pull within one, 42-41, with 10:35 left in the game following a 3-pointer by sophomore Phil Taylor. However, a 13-3 run by the Golden Eagles (4-2) proved to be too much to overcome as the Panthers fell, 73-65. The Panthers hung around for the final 10 minutes of the contest but could not get any closer than five points as they suffered their third loss of the season.

Three Panthers scored in double-figures, including Taylor, who posted a career-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor and 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. The Marietta, Ga., native registered a team-high three assists and a game-high four steals. Also scoring in double-figures were senior DeJuan Wright (17 points) and sophomore Dominique Ferguson (10 points). Wright shot 6-of-8 from the floor and converted 3-of-3 attempts from the free-throw line before fouling out with 1:03 left in the game. Ferguson was one rebound shy of his first double-double of the season, grabbing nine boards to go along with his 10 points.

FIU finished the contest shooting 44.2 percent from the floor (23-of-52) and drained 8-of-16 shots from 3-point range (50.0 percent).

Oral Roberts shot 55.1 percent (27-of-49) from the floor, while recording 18 points off of 13 FIU turnovers. The Golden Eagles were led by Michael Craion, who posted 19 points and eight rebounds.

The Panthers held a slight edge in rebounding over the Golden Eagles, 31-28, and recorded eight steals to ORU's four.

FIU will next host Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 26. Game time for the Panthers' home opener is 7:30 p.m. at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

For FIU men's basketball season tickets and ticket information, call the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or log onto www.FIUSports.com.

About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 17 different sports, and is a proud member of the Sun Belt Conference and an affiliate member of Conference USA (men's soccer). Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls 46,000 students in two campus and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and has 400 student-athletes participating in 17 sports. In 2010 the Panthers won their first bowl game. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.