GAME 12: FIU vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Saturday, December 17, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla. | PantherVision (CUSA TV)
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 3-8, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: L, 75-68 vs. Georgia Southern, December 14, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 146-154/10th season
Record at FIU: 47-60/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (19.9 ppg, 44.6% FG), Michael Kessens (14.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg)     
 
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
Record: 5-5, 0-0 Mid-American
Last Game: W, 95-69 Olivet Nazarene, December 14, 2016
Head Coach: Mark Montgomery
Alma Mater: Michigan State, 2003
Career Record: 65-104/Fourth season
Record at school: Same
Top Players: Marin Maric (14.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Aaric Armstead (11.1 ppg, 6.3 apg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: PantherVision (CUSA TV)
Pete Pelegrin (Play-by-play)
Radio/Audio: None
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: FIU leads, 5-4
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, contact the FIU athletic ticket office at 305-FIU-GAME (348-4263). Single game tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on game day.
 
QUICK HITS
- The FIU men's basketball team, in the midst of a season-long five-game homestand, returns to the hardwood for its second game in three days on Saturday, Dec. 17 when it faces Northern Illinois on Lime Court at FIU Arena ...  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ... Fans who can't make it out to FIU Arena can watch the game live on PantherVision (CUSA TV) with Pete Pelegrin calling the action ... Saturday's game is the second of three that the Panthers will play during a seven-day stretch before the holiday break ... Following the NIU game, FIU will face North Florida on Dec. 21 (7 p.m.) ... The Panthers close out their five games at home, beginning Conference USA play against Marshall (Dec. 31, 1 p.m.) and WKU (Jan. 2, 7 p.m.), respectively.
 
- FIU is coming off a 75-68 loss to Georgia Southern on Dec. 15 ... Donte McGill led the Panthers in the scoring column with 21 points while Kimar Williams posted a career-high 15 points in the loss ... Michael Kessens also added 12 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double in an FIU uniform and the 19th double-double of his collegiate career.
 
- McGill leads the team in scoring through 11 games this season, averaging 19.9 points-per-contest, which is also third in Conference USA and 56th in Division I (through games of Dec. 15) ... Kessens is averaging a double-double, netting 14.2 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 11.2 rebounds-per-outing ... Kessens' rebounding average is tops in C-USA and 10th in Division I (through games of Dec. 15) ... Eric Nottage rounds out the double-digit scorers, netting 10.7 points-per-contest.
 
- Anthony Evans is in his fourth season as head coach of the Panthers, and his 10th season overall ... Thursday's game against Georgia Southern was Evans' 300th of his head coaching career.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- The Panthers will return to Lime Court at FIU Arena on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. for their final game before the holiday break - and their final non-conference game of the season - when they face in-state foe North Florida ... FIU closes out its five-game homestand beginning Conference USA play against Marshall (Dec. 31, 1 p.m.) and WKU (Jan. 2, 7 p.m.), respectively.
 
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
- Northern Illinois comes into its game with FIU with a 5-5 record on the year, following a 95-69 win over Olivet Nazarene on Dec. 14 in DeKalb ... The Huskies placed six players in double figures in the win led by Marin Maric's game highs of 22 points and nine rebounds, along with 16 points from Aaric Armstead ... Levi Bradley (12), Justin Thomas (11), Dontel Highsmith (10) and Eugene German (10) round out the Huskies' double-figure scorers.
 
- Maric is leading the Huskies on the year in scoring, averaging 14.8 points-per-game ... Aaric Armstead is also scoring in double figures, netting 11.1 points-per-game this season ... Jaylen Key (9.9 ppg) and Laytwan Porter (9.2) fall just below the double-digit threshold ... Armstead is NIU's top rebounder, grabbing 6.3 boards-per-game, respectively.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST NORTHERN ILLINOIS
- Saturday's game between FIU and Northern Illinois will be the 10th meeting all-time between the two schools with the  Panthers leading the 5-4 ... FIU has lost three of the last four matchups, however the Panthers have won five of the last eight games played.
 
- There have been only two overtime games in the series, with those coming in the last two meetings ... The Huskies handed FIU a 98-92 setback at FIU Arena on Nov. 20, 1999 and last season NIU and FIU went to double-overtime before the Huskies came out on top, 78-75 in DeKalb.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT AGAINST NIU
- FIU dropped its fifth-straight game when Northern Illinois handed the Panthers a tough 78-75 double-overtime loss on Dec. 19, 2015 in DeKalb.
 
- Donte McGill scored a game-high 23 points – all coming in the second half and overtime – and Elmo Stephen netted a then-career-high 15 points, in just his second game with FIU ... Kimar Williams also added a career-high 13 points, and Daviyon Draper chipped in with 10 points ... Draper also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for his second career double-double with the Panthers.
 
- FIU's leading scorer, Adrian Diaz, played just 17 minutes in the game, and scored just seven points, after finding himself in foul trouble ... He fouled out of the contest with 5:29 left in regulation.
 
- The Panthers shot just 38.5 percent (25-of-65) from the field, including 38.1 percent (8-of-21) from behind the three-point arc, and 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the line.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU is coming off a 75-68 loss to Georgia Southern on Dec. 15 in Panthers' Head Coach Anthony Evans' 300th career game as a head coach ...  The game with the Eagles tipped off a season-long five-game homestand ... Scan the QR code with your mobile device to see the complete game recap and stats.
 
- Donte McGill led the Panthers in the scoring column with 21 points while Kimar Williams posted a career-high 15 points in the loss ... Michael Kessens also added 12 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double in an FIU uniform and the 19th double-double of his collegiate career.
 
- FIU shot 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from the field on the night, including 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from behind the three-point line, and 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the free-throw line ... The Panthers finished the game hitting 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the field on the night.