Box Score Final Stats (PDF) I (Final Stats (HTML)
Post-Game Notes (PDF) I Head Coach Anthony Evans Post-Game Quotes (PDF)
MIAMI (Nov. 30, 2013) - Three Panthers scored in double-figures as the FIU men's basketball team (7-3) edged the Georgia State Panthers (2-5), 61-60, stopping GSU's last-second attempt to preserve a one-point victory on Saturday night from Lime Court at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
Senior Tymell Murphy scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting for his sixth double-double of the season and for the 14th time of his career. It's the 38th time the Brooklyn, N.Y., native has scored double-digit points and is his third-straight, 20-point game. Redshirt senior Rakeem Buckles had a career-night on the boards, finishing with 17 rebounds. Redshirt junior Dennis Mavin scored a season-high 14 points, going 5-of-16 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe, and freshman Jason Boswell added an additional 11 points.
FIU started the game on a 7-0 run, with Murphy draining a trey at the 18:21 mark. The shot extends FIU's streak to 155-straight games with a successful 3-pointer, dating back to Dec. 20, 2008. Boswell then drove to the basket for two, forcing Georgia State to call an early timeout. Murphy hit his second 3-pointer of the game two minutes later to give FIU its then-largest lead, 10-2. With 12:17 to play, Georgia State drove to the basket for a layup, which was batted into the court-side cabanas by Buckles. Following a Georgia State trey to pull the Panthers within 2 points, 15-13, Boswell drained a jumper just before the shot clock sounded to preserve a 4-point, 17-13, lead. Georgia State got its first lead of the game with 1:33 to play in the half, as the two teams went into the half knotted at 27-all, courtesy of a Murphy layup with 12 seconds remaining.
Murphy lead all scorers in the first with 15 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor and going a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Buckles registered a team-high three blocks and six rebounds, while also recording a steal. FIU shot 44 percent in the first half, going 11-of-25 and beat Georgia State on the boards, 22-14.
Boswell scored a quick five points for the Panthers to open the second half with a trey and transition dunk, to pull FIU within two points, 32-32, with 16:37 remaining in the game. With 12:21 to play, Mavin broke coast-to-coast in transition for a layup, which was tipped in by Boswell, to bring FIU within one, 41-40. Mavin completed a three-point play with 9:48 to go, cutting the Panther's deficit to two points, 45-43. Junior Marco Porcher Jimenez tipped a Buckles layup in at the 4:45 mark to cut Georgia State's lead to five points, 55-50. Following a missed trey by Mavin, Murphy grabbed the rebound and put the Panthers within three, 55-52, with just over three minutes to play. As time expired on the shot clock, Mavin completed his second, three-point play of the half to give FIU its first lead since the first half, 59-58, with just over a minute remaining. A Buckles layup on the following possession gave the Panthers a three-point lead and forced a Georgia State timeout. The Panthers defense stopped Georgia State on the final play of the game, as Ryan Harrow tried a fade away jumper that landed in Murphy's arms.
FIU finished the game shooting 45.5 percent on 25-of-55 shooting, while shooting just under 60 percent from the line, converting 7-of-12 chances. The Panthers largest lead was 11 points, which came in the first half (14-3, 14:34 remaining). FIU dominated Georgia State on the boards, 49-27 and held the GSU to just 7-of-18 from beyond the arc.
The Panthers are back in action on Dec. 3, hosting Nova Southeastern. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. from Lime Court at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
Men's basketball season tickets can be purchased by calling the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or conveniently online at FIUSports.com
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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/