MIAMI (Feb. 25, 2012) --- Senior DeJuan Wright scored more points than any other Panther in U.S. Century Bank Arena history, pouring in a career-high 35 points to help lead the FIU men's basketball team (8-20, 5-11 SBC) to an 81-74 win over South Alabama (16-11, 8-8 SBC) on Saturday, Feb. 23.

On a night in which seniors Wright and Jeremy Allen were honored, the pair form Detroit, Mich., combined for 56 points and 18 rebounds. Allen posted 21 points on 7-of-21 shooting (4-of-8 from beyond the arc), while registering two steals and five rebounds.  It marked the 12th-career, 20-point outing for Allen.

Wright notched his 10th-career, double-double, grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with his 35 points. The 6-foot-5 guard shot 9-of-18 from the floor and also set a school record for free-throws made (16) and attempted (19).

Junior Brandon Moore grabbed nine rebounds, scored eight points and had a team-high four blocked shots.  The four blocks moved the New Orleans, La., native up the FIU career blocked shots list; tied for No. 7 with teammate Dominique Ferguson (59). 

Freshman Deric Hill set a career mark in assists, registering nine dimes. The Miami, Fla., native also recorded a team-high three steals.

Leading by as many as 14 points, FIU took a 19-18 lead with 8:38 left in the first half, following a jump shot by Hill which gave the Panthers a lead they would never relinquish.

The Panthers finished the night shooting 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the floor and 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from 3-point range.  FIU converted 25-of-31 free-throw attempts (80.6 percent), including 13-of-17 in the second half.

South Alabama, which shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63) from the floor and 25.0 percent (4-of-16) from 3-point land, was led by Augustine Rubit, who scored 25 points and tallied a game-high 14 rebounds. Also scoring in double-figures for the Jaguars were Mychal Ammons (12 points) and Freddie Goldstein (10 points).

The Jaguars held a 39-37 advantage on the boards and a 44-32 edge in points-in-the-paint. FIU forced 12 South Alabama turnovers, resulting in 13 points for the Panthers.

The win snapped a five-game losing skid and a nine-game, home-losing streak for FIU.

The Panthers will next head to Hot Springs, Ark., to take part in the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Tournament (March 3-6). Check back with FIUSports.com for tournament seedings and game times.

Game Notes
- With tonight's win, FIU closes out the regular season with an overall mark of 8-20 and a Sun Belt Conference ledger of 5-11. The victory snaps a five-game losing streak and a nine-game home losing streak.
 
- Senior scored a career-high 35 points to mark the first time an FIU player has scored 30 points since the 2007-08 season and the second-highest single-game output by an FIU player behind Carlos Arroyo's 39 points (at North Texas, 12/30/00). Wright chipped in with 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and 10th of his career.
 
- Senior Jeremy Allen score 21 points on the night. He went 4-of-8 from the three-point arc to tie a career-best in treys made.
 
- Freshman Deric Hill dished out a career-high and FIU season-high nine assists as the Panthers posted a season-best 16 assists on the night. It is also the most by an FIU player against South Alabama.
 
- Senior went 16-of-19 from the free throw line to set school records in free throws made and free throws attempted.


DeJuan WrightDeJuan Wright

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 bachelor's, master's 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 in17 sports. In 2010 the Panthers won their first bowl game. For more information about FIU, visithttp://www.fiu.edu/.