GAME SIX: FIU vs. AVE MARIA
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla. | PantherVision (CUSA TV)
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 1-4, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: L, 78-73 vs. Youngstown State, November 20, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 144-150/10th season
Record at FIU: 45-56/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (17.0 ppg, 44.4% FG); Michael Kessens (13.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg)     
 
AVE MARIA GYRENES
Record: 2-3, 1-1 The Sun Conference
Last Game: L, 95-77 vs. Binghamton, November 22, 2016
Head Coach: John Lamanna
Alma Mater: Washington State
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: PantherVision (CUSA TV) (click here for live video)
Josh Appel (Play-by-play), Pete Pelegrin (Color analyst)
Radio/Audio: FIU Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: First meeting
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: 305-FIU-GAME (348-4263)          
Single game reserved tickets are $10; season tickets for as low as $50. Group ticket options can be purchased for as low as $5.
 
FIU QUICK HITS
- FIU returns to Lime Court at FIU Arena for the first of two home contests during the Thanksgiving holiday week beginning on Nov. 23 with a pre-turkey day tilt against Ave Maria ... Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on PantherVision, by visiting FIUSports.com, and C-USA TV ... Josh Appel will call the action with Pete Pelegrin providing the color commentary ... The Panthers will close out the short two-game homestand on Nov. 27 when Binghamton visits Miami for a 7 p.m. start ... The current home-game stretch precedes three-straight on the road with stops at Elon (Nov. 30, 7 p.m.), South Carolina (Dec. 4, 2 p.m.) and Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 11, 8:15 p.m.). 
 
- Wednesday's game is just the second of three home games that FIU will play on Lime Court at FIU Arena in its first 10 games of the 2016-17 season ... The Panthers are coming off four-consecutive road or neutral games, their longest such stretch of the season.
 
- The Panthers are coming off four-straight losses, with three of the setbacks taking place at the 2016 Red Diamond Roundball Classic in Mobile, Alabama ... FIU dropped all three games by a combined total of 13 points, including back-to-back overtime losses to start the Classic against South Alabama (69-64) and Jacksonville (78-75) ... The Panthers closed out the Classic with a tough 78-73 loss to Youngstown State on Nov. 20 ... Michael Kessens led the way for FIU with 21 points and shared high-rebounding honors grabbing eight boards ... Donte McGill chipped in with 19 points and five rebounds ...Eric Nottage also grabbed eight rebounds to go along with his four points.
 
- McGill leads the team in scoring through five games this season, averaging 17 points-per-contest ... Kessens is averaging a double-double netting 13.8 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 10.4 rebounds-per-outing ... Nottage rounds out the double-digit scorers netting 10.8 points-per-game.
 
- Anthony Evans is in his fourth season as head coach of the Panthers, and his 10th season overall as a head coach, at both Norfolk State and FIU.
 
FOR TICKET INFORMATION ...
- Single game reserved tickets are $10 ... Season tickets can be purchased for as low as $50 and group ticket options for as low as $5 ... For ticket questions or to purchase tickets, please visit FIUSports.com or call 305-FIU-GAME.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- Following Thursday's game against Ave Maria, FIU will return to Lime Court at FIU Arena to close out its short two-game homestand on Nov. 27 when it faces Binghamton at 7 p.m.
 
- After this current two-game homestand, the Panthers will hit the road for three-straight, including a two-game road trip to Elon on Nov. 30 (7 p.m.) and at South Carolina on Dec. 4 (2 p.m.), before ending the three-game stretch at Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 11 (8:15 p.m.).
 
- The Panthers will not return home until it begins a season-long five-game stretch on Lime Court at FIU Arena, starting on Dec. 15 against Georgia Southern (7 p.m.) ... FIU will also face Northern Illinois on Dec. 17 (7 p.m.), North Florida on Dec. 21 (7 p.m.), and begin Conference USA play against Marshall on Dec. 31 (1 p.m.) and Western Kentucky on Jan. 2 (7 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING THE GYRENES
- Ave Maria comes into Wednesday's game with a 2-4 record and a 1-1 record in The Sun Conference ... The Gyrenes are coming off a 95-77 loss to Binghamton, last night ... The Panthers will face Binghamton on Sunday ... Deonte Dixon led Ave Maria with 27 points and Exor Torres added 18 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
 
- Ok, to answer the question that most people will ask; what is a Gyrene ... A Gyrene is a reference to Marines, although initially a derogatory reference from members of the Navy, it was eventually embraced by the Corps, of which Tom Monaghan was a proud member ... Monaghan is the university's founder and chancellor; having made his fortunes as the founder of Domino's Pizza.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST AVE MARIA
- Wednesday's game against Ave Maria will be the first meeting between the two schools.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU is coming off a tough 78-73 loss to Youngstown State in the final game of the 2016 Red Diamond Roundball Classic on Nov. 20 in Mobile, Alabama ... The loss was the fourth-straight for the Panthers ... Scan the QR code with your mobile device to see the complete game recap and stats.
 
- Michael Kessens led the way for FIU with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds ... Donte McGill added 17 points in the loss ... In addition to Kessens' eight boards, Eric Nottage also pulled down eight rebounds, one shy of tying his career-high.
 
- The Panthers shot 43.3 percent (29-of-67) from the field on the afternoon, and was just 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) from three-point range ... FIU shot 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from the free throw line in the loss.
 
- Despite the loss, the Panthers outscored the Penguins in the paint (44-28) and in bench points (20-12) ... FIU also slightly outrebounded Youngstown State, 37-35, but controlled the offensive glass holding, 14-8, that led to a 16-4 advantage in second chance points.