GAME 14: FIU vs. Marshall
Saturday, December 31, 2016 | 1 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla. | PantherVision (CUSA TV)
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 4-9, 0-0 C-USA
Last Game: W, 78-54 vs. North Florida, December 21, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 147-155/10th season
Record at FIU: 48-61/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (19.3 ppg, 43.4% FG), Michael Kessens (13.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg)     
 
MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD
Record: 7-6, 0-0 Conference USA
Last Game: L, 112-106 at Pittsburgh, December 28, 2016
Head Coach: Dan D'Antoni
Alma Mater: Marshall, 1970
Career Record: 35-40/Third season
Record at school: Same
Top Players: John Elmore (20.8 ppg, 6.8 apg), Stevie Browning (18.0 ppg, 51.2% FG)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: PantherVision (CUSA TV)
Pete Pelegrin (Play-by-play)
Radio/Audio: None
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: Marshall leads, 4-1
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
- LET THE SECOND SEASON BEGIN!! The FIU men's basketball team tips off the Conference USA portion of its schedule on Dec. 31 when it welcomes Marshall to Lime Court at FIU Arena ... Game time for the New Year's Eve matinée affair is scheduled for 1 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  ... The game against the Thundering Herd is the fourth game of FIU's season-long five-game homestand which will come to an end on Jan. 2 against WKU (7 p.m.). 
 
- FIU snapped its five-game losing streak on Dec. 21 with a dominating 78-54 win over North Florida in the Panthers' final game before the holiday break ... In what was FIU's most complete game of the season, Elmo Stephen led four players in double figures in the scoring column with a game-high 15 points, while Donte McGill (13 points), Eric Nottage (11 points) and Michael Kessens (10 points) all netted double digits ... Four players also shared game-high rebounding honors with six apiece.
 
- McGill leads the team in scoring through 13 games this season, averaging 19.3 points-per-contest ... Kessens is averaging a double-double, netting 13.3 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 10.3 rebounds-per-outing ... His rebounding average is tops in Conference USA and 22nd in NCAA Division I (through games of Dec. 29) ... Eric Nottage rounds out the double-digit scorers, netting 10.5 points-per-game.
 
- Anthony Evans is in his fourth season as head coach of the Panthers, and his 10th season overall ... FIU's game against Georgia Southern on Dec. 15 was Evans' 300th of his head coaching career.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- Following the meeting with Marshall FIU, returns to the hardwood on Jan. 2 when it faces WKU at 7 p.m. ... The game with the Hilltoppers ends the Panthers' season-long five-game homestand.
 
- After WKU, FIU heads on the road for the first time during Conference USA play for three-straight beginning on Jan. 7 at Florida Atlantic (2 p.m.) before heading to the Lone Star State for the only time this year to face UTEP on Jan. 12 (9 p.m. ET) and UTSA on Jan. 14 (4 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING THE THUNDERING HERD
- Marshall comes into its game with FIU posting a 7-6 record following its non-conference finale at Pittsburgh on Dec. 28 where the Thundering Herd dropped a 112-106 decision ... Marshall placed four players in double figures - including three with better than 20 points - in the setback ... C.J. Burks poured in 25 points while Stevie Browning and Ryan Taylor each chipped in 22 points ... Jon Elmore fell just below the 20-point threshold with 19 points ... Taylor also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
- Jon Elmore is one of six players on the Marshall roster netting double figures, averaging 20.8 points-per-game ... Stevie Browning and C.J. Burks are averaging 18.0 and 16.7 points-per-game respectively, while Ryan Taylor (13.6 points-per-game), Terrence Thompson (12.0 points-per-game) and Austin Loop (10.9 points-per-game) round out the double figure scorers ... Thompson and Taylor are the team's top two rebounders, grabbing 7.8 and 7.0 rebounds-per-game, respectively.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST MARSHALL
- Marshall leads the all-time series against FIU, 4-1, and 3-1 with both schools as members of Conference USA.
 
- There has been one overtime game between FIU and Marshall with that coming on Jan. 15, 2015 with the Panthers coming out on top, 66-62, in the only game previously played in Miami.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT AGAINST MARSHALL
- FIU dropped a tough 99-81 loss in its last meeting at Marshall on Jan. 9, 2016 ... The loss snapped the Panthers' four-game winning streak.
 
- Daviyon Draper scored a career-high 25 points, on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, to go along with five rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes of action ... Draper was joined in double-figures by Donte McGill and Adrian Diaz, who scored 20 and 16 points, respectively.
 
- FIU shot 46.5 percent (33-of-71) from the field, and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the free-throw line ... The Panthers, however, couldn't counter Marshall's 53.4 percent (31-of-58) shooting from the field - including 13 made three-point shots - and an 80.0 percent (24-of-30) performance from the charity stripe.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU snapped its five-game losing streak on Dec. 21 with a dominating 78-54 win over North Florida in the Panthers' final game before the holiday break ... In what was FIU's best complete game of the season, Elmo Stephen led four players in double figures in the scoring column with a game-high 15 points, while Donte McGill (13 points), Eric Nottage (11 points) and Michael Kessens (10 points) all netted double digits ... Four players also shared game-high rebounding honors with six apiece ... Scan the QR code with your mobile device to see the complete game recap and stats.
 
FIU IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
- FIU comes into Saturday's game with Marshall posting an 11-14 record all-time in conference lid-lifters, including winners of its last four-straight league openers.
 
- Anthony Evans is 5-4 all-time as a head coach in conference openers and 3-0 at FIU.