GAME 14: FLORIDA ATLANTIC at FIU
Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 | 3 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla. | FSN
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 6-7, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: W, 65-45 vs. Florida Atlantic, December 29, 2015
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 136-134/ninth season
Record at FIU: 37-40/third season
 
FAU OWLS
Record: 2-11, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: L, 57-48 vs. UT Martin, December 29, 2015
Head Coach: Michael Curry
Alma Mater: Georgia Southern, 1990
Career Record: 11-31/second season
Record at school: Same
 
QUICK HITS
- The FIU men's basketball team tips off its third season in Conference USA, on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 3 p.m., when it opens its conference slate against league rival Florida Atlantic ... The Panthers will take the court against the Owls looking for their third consecutive win. 
 
- The Panthers are coming off a commanding 65-45 win over Florida A&M in their non-conference finale on Dec. 29 ... Elmo Stephen recorded a career-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, all coming from behind the three-point arc ... Adrian Diaz and Donte McGill also chipped in with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
 
- Diaz and McGill continue to lead FIU in scoring, netting 15.2 and 14.8 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 games of Jan. 1), in blocked shots per game, averaging 3.8 rejections-per-outing ... He is also tops in the nation in total blocked shots (49).
 
- Donte McGill is the hottest player on the team, averaging 18.4 points-per-game, on 54.1 percent (53-of-98) shooting from the field, including 52.4 percent (11-of-21), from behind the arc, in his last eight outings ... He has scored 20-plus points in four of his last eight games.
 
SCOUTING THE OWLS
- Florida Atlantic comes into its meeting with FIU with a 2-11 record on the season, and losers of its last six straight games ... The Owls last win was a 72-59 victory over Ave Maria on Dec. 10.
 
- FAU is coming off a 57-48 loss to UT Martin on Dec. 29 in its final non-conference game of the season ... Adonis Filer scored a team-high 17 points, and Jeantal Cylla added 12 points in the loss ... Ronald Delph grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the loss.
 
- C.J. Turman leads the Owls in scoring averaging 9.9 points-per-game while Adonis Filer and Jackson Trapp are netting 9.7 and 9.1 points-per-game, respectively ... Turman is also the team leader on the boards grabbing 7.0 rebounds-per-outing.
 
THE SERIES vs. FLIORIDA ATLANTIC
- FIU comes into its matchup with Florida Atlantic leading the all-time series against the Owls, 20-15 ... The actual on-court record is 21-15, however, the Panthers had to vacate one win due to NCAA sanctions.
 
- The Panthers have won their last four-straight games, and six of their last seven dating back to the 2011-12 season.
 
- There have been two overtime games between the two schools, with FAU winning both, 91-88 on Feb. 28, 2007 and 80-78 on Feb. 19, 2011.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS
- Following its matchup with FAU, the Panthers will embark on their first Conference USA road trip of the season when they travel to Bowling Green, Ky. to face Western Kentucky (Jan. 7, 8 p.m. ET) and Huntington, W.Va. to butt heads with Marshall (Jan. 9, 7 p.m.).
 
- FIU will return home, to Lime Court at FIU Arena, on Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. to take on Louisiana Tech, and then Southern Miss on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- After losing five straight games, FIU won its second consecutive game with a 65-45 victory over Florida A&M on Dec. 29 in its non-conference finale.
 
- Elmo Stephen recorded a career-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, all coming from three-point range ... His six treys made also marked a career-best ... Adrian Diaz and Donte McGill each added 13 and 12 points, respectively in the win, while Cameron Smith grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
- The Panthers shot 46.6 percent (27-of-58 from the field on the night, and dominated in the paint outscoring the Rattlers 32-18 in the win.