GAME 11: FIU at NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015 | 3 p.m. (ET)
NIU Convocation Center | DeKalb, Ill.
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 4-6, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: L, 94-72 vs. North Florida, December 14, 2015
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 134-133/ninth season
Record at FIU: 35-39/third season
 
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
Record: 7-2, 0-0 Mid-American
Last Game: L, 67-54 at Ohio State, December 16, 2015
Head Coach: Mark Montgomery
Alma Mater: Michigan State, 2003
Career Record: 46-86/fifth season
Record at school: Same
 
QUICK HITS
- FIU will play its second of three-straight road games - and the first game of a two-game road trip - when it faces Northern Illinois on Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. (ET) ... The Panthers look to snap its four-game losing streak, their longest such streak since the 2013-14 season.
 
- Adrian Diaz and Daviyon Draper continue to lead FIU in scoring, netting 16.1 and 14.0 points-per-game, respectively ... Diaz also leads in rebounding, grabbing 9.1 per-outing.
 
- Diaz leads Conference USA, and is No. 1 in NCAA Division I (through game of Dec. 16), in blocked shots per game, averaging 4.1 rejections-per-outing ... He also leads the nation in total blocked shots (41).
 
- Cameron Smith is coming off the best game of his short collegiate career ... Smith logged his first career double-double with an 11-point, 12-rebound effort against North Florida on Monday night ... His 12 rebounds were also a career-high.
 
- Donte Mcgill is currently one of the hottest players on the team, averaging 16.8 points-per-game on 57.4 percent (31-of-54) shooting from the field, including 50.0 percent (3-of-6), from behind the arc, in his last five outings ... He has scored 20-plus points in two of his last five games, and in double figures in all five, and five of his last seven.
 
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
- Northern Illinois comes into its meeting with FIU with a 7-2 record following a 67-54 loss at Ohio State on Dec. 16 ... Marin Maric led the way for the Huskies with 17 points while Marshawn Wilson added 16 points in the loss ... Maric also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
- Wilson leads three players in double figures, in the scoring column, averaging 12.8 points-per-game, while Maric is second netting 11.7 points-per-contest ... Maric is also the ream leader in rebounding grabbing 7.9 boards-per-game ... Aaric Armstead rounds out the double figure scorers averaging 11.2 points-per-pouting.
 
- Prior to its meeting against Ohio State, Northern Illinois lost its first game of the season against Missouri when it dropped a 78-71 decision to the Tigers in Columbia, Mo., on Dec. 4.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST NIU
- Saturday's game between FIU and Northern Illinois will be the ninth meeting all-time between the two schools with the Panthers holding a 5-3 series lead ... FIU has lost two of the last three matchups, however the Panthers have won five of the last seven games played.
 
- There has been only one overtime game in the series, with that coming in the last meeting of the series, on Nov. 20, 1999 ... The Huskies handed FIU a 98-92 setback at FIU Arena.
 
FIU vs. THE MID-AMERICAN
- FIU comes into Saturday's game trailing in the all-time series against current members of the Mid-American Conference, 15-10 ... Northern Illinois is the Panthers' most frequent opponent in the MAC ahead of Akron (2-3) and Toledo (1-3).
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS
- Following Saturday's meeting with Northern Illinois, the Panthers will travel directly to the Empire State to battle Binghamton on Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in Vestal, N.Y.
 
- FIU's game with Binghamton will be the first meeting between the two schools.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU dropped its fourth straight game when North Florida handed the Panthers a 94-72 setback on Dec. ... FIU's skid is the longest since the 2013-14 season ... In addition, the 94 points scored against the Ospreys was the most scored against the Panthers since Florida A&M netted 93 points, in a 93-88 overtime loss on Jan. 2, 2014.
 
- Adrian Diaz led five players in double figures with 19 points, while Cameron Smith added 11 points in the loss ... Daviyon Draper, Jason Boswell and Donte Mcgill all added 10 points apiece ... It was the first time since Nov. 12, 2014, against Warren Wilson, that five FIU players netted double-figure points in a game.
 
- Smith also grabbed a team- and career-high 12 rebounds, to go along with his 11 points, for his first career double-double.
 
- FIU shot 43.8 percent (28-of-46) from the field and out rebounded the Ospreys, 49-34, and 19-10 on the offensive glass.