GAME 25: FIU vs. UTEP
Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla.
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 11-13, 5-6 C-USA
Last Game: L, 67-66 at Middle Tennessee, February 6, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 141-140/ninth season
Record at FIU: 42-46/third season
 
UTEP MINERS
Record: 13-11, 5-6 C-USA
Last Game: W, 93-89 (ot) vs. WKU, February 6, 2016
Head Coach: Tim Floyd
Alma Mater: Louisiana Tech, 1977
Career Record: 444-254/22nd season
Record at school: 116-74/sixth season
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: PantherVision
Pete Pelegrin (Play-by-play)
Radio/Audio: FIU Sports Radio Network
Pete Pelegrin (Play-by-play)
Live Stats: FIUSPorts.com           
Series: UTEP leads series, 5-1
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: 305-FIU-GAME (348-4263) Single game tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on game day.
 
QUICK HITS
- FIU returns home, for two-straight games, looking to end its four-game losing streak against UTEP on Feb. 11 ... The Panthers will close out its short two-game home stretch on Saturday,  Feb. 13 against UTSA ... Both games will tipoff at 7 p.m. on Lime Court at FIU Arena.
 
- The Panthers look to end their four-game losing streak, their longest skid since dropping five straight from Nov. 30 through Dec. 19 ... Despite its losing streak, FIU is 7-6 in its last 13 games.
 
- The Panthers are coming off a tough 67-66 loss at Middle Tennessee on Saturday night ... Daviyon Draper tied his career-high, and scored a game-high 25 points, while Donte McGill chipped in with 15 points and a career-high tying, and game-high, nine rebounds.
 
- FIU is looking for its eighth win in its last 14 games, after starting the season 4-6 ... The Panthers are 11-13 on the year and 5-6 in Conference USA.
 
- McGill, Adrian Diaz and Draper are all tied for the team lead in scoring, netting 15.6 points-per-game ... Draper is averaging 21.0 points-per-game is his last four ... Draper paces the team in conference games averaging 18.5 points-per-game ... Diaz and Draper are averaging 7.7 and 7.0 rebounds-per-game, respectively.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- Following its game with UTEP, FIU will welcome UTSA to Lime Court at FIU Arena on Saturday, Feb. 13 ... Tipoff at 7 p.m.
 
SCOUTING THE MINERS
- UTEP comes into Thursday's game with the Panthers with a 13-11 record on the season, and a 5-6 mark in Conference USA games ... The Miners are coming off their second-straight win, a 93-89 overtime victory, over Western Kentucky on Saturday ... Despite the second-straight win, UTEP has lost three of its last five - a stretch which started with a loss to FIU - and six of its last nine games.
 
- Lee Moore leads four players averaging double figures in the scoring column, netting 14.3 points-per-game, followed by  Earvin Morris' 13.3 points-per-outing ... Dominic Artis and Omega Harris round out the double-digit scorers, netting 11.9 and 11.8 points-per-game, respectively ... Terry Winn is the team's leader in rebounding, grabbing 5.9 rebounds-per-game.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST UTEP
- UTEP comes into Thursday's game with FIU holding a commanding 5-1 series lead, dating back to the 1998-99 season ... The Panthers are 0-2 at home, 1-2 in El Paso, and 0-1 in neutral site games with that contest taking place last season in the Conference USA quarterfinals ... The Miners handed FIU a season-ending 83-71 loss.
 
- In their last meeting, FIU posted a thrilling 79-69 win at UTEP on Jan. 23 to complete a sweep of the Lone Star state ... FIU led for all but 3:15 of the game, and by as many as 21 points - 64-43 with 10:43 left in the game - before the Miners staged a furious comeback to cut the lead to three, 70-67 with 2:48 left ... Eric Nottage, however, stopped the bleeding and ended a four-plus minute scoring drought, hitting his only field goal of the game, a three-point shot, with 2:22 left in the game to put the Panthers up 73-67 ... Adrian Diaz led three FIU players in double-digits with 20 points ... Daviyon Draper chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season - and second straight - and the sixth of his career ... Donte McGill also added 16 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU is coming off a tough 67-66 loss at Middle Tennessee on Saturday night ... The setback marked the Panthers' fourth-straight loss.
 
- Daviyon Draper scored a career-high tying - and game-high - 25 points in the loss, while Donte McGill added 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds ... McGill's double figures snapped his two-game double-digit scoring drought, his longest stretch since scoring eight and nine points, respectively in the first two games of the season.
 
- The Panthers shot 51.0 percent (26-of-51) from the field and outrebounded the Blue Raiders, 38-29. FIU, however, committed 14 turnovers which led to 16 Middle Tennessee points off turnovers.