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KENNESAW, Ga. (Nov. 10, 2013) – Four players reached double-figures in scoring, as the FIU men's basketball team (1-2) picked up its first win of the season, defeating the Kennesaw State Owls (0-3), 66-58, on Sunday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center.
 
The win marked the first at FIU for Head Coach Anthony Evans and the 100th of his career.
 
The Panthers finished the game shooting 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the floor and 25.0 percent (3-of-12) from 3-point range. FIU converted 17 of its 24 attempts from the free-throw line (70.8 percent).  KSU held a 43-35 edge on the boards, but FIU forced 15 Owl turnovers, resulting in 16 points for the Panthers.
 
Redshirt senior Rakeem Buckles scored 20 points for the second-straight game, and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for his third-straight double-double. The Miami native shot 6-of-14 from the field and converted 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Point guard Raymond Taylor scored a season-high 15 points and dished out five assists. The redshirt senior has scored in double-figures in each of the Panthers first three games.
 
Sophomore Jerome Frink scored 10 of his 13 total points in the second half of action. The Jersey City, N.J., native registered seven rebounds for the second-straight game. Senior Tymell Murphy poured in 12 points, including No. 501 for his FIU career on a breakaway layup with 5:56 left in the game. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native also notched two assists and three steals.
 
The contest saw 13 lead changes and seven tied scores. After being tied through the first 20 minutes (32-32), FIU took a four-point lead to start the second half. KSU, regained the lead, 39-38, following a jumper by Myles Hamilton with 13:36 left in the game. The Panthers responded with an “and-one” play by Buckles, giving FIU a 41-39 edge with 13:18 left to play. It would be a lead the Panthers would hold onto for the remaining 13 minutes of action. Kennesaw State cut the FIU lead to four points with 1:25 left to play, but a 3-pointer by Taylor, as the shot clock expired, extended the Panther lead to seven, 65-58. Murphy would add the 66th point with a made free-throw with 00:26 left on the clock.
 
FIU entered halftime tied with the Owls, 32-32. The Panthers shot 38.5 percent (10-of-26) from the floor and 33.3 percent (2-of-6) from 3-point range. The first half saw eight lead changes and seven tied scores. Buckles led all FIU players with 11 points and Frink grabbed a team-high five rebounds in the first 20 minutes of action. A key trey by junior Marco Porcher Jimenez with 10 seconds left in the half tied the score at 32-all. Following a turnover by KSU, Taylor attempted a half-court shot as time expired. However he shot was just right of the rim to keep the score knotted a 32-32.  
 
The Owls shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the floor and were led offensively by Delbert Love, who had a game-high 24 points. KSU drained nine treys, including six by Love.
 
The win improved the Panthers to 3-0 all-time versus KSU and 28-17 all-time versus teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
 
The Panthers will next take on the Warren Wilson Owls on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the team's final game of the KSU Men's Basketball Tournament. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m. ET.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow @FIUMensBBall on Twitter, and “Like” FIU men's basketball on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/FIUMensBBall) for the latest Panther basketball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).


About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. 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 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida¹s 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. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/