GAME 30: FIU vs. UAB
Thursday, March 3, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla.
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 13-16, 6-9 C-USA
Last Game: W, 71-63 at Florida Atlantic, February 27, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 143-143/ninth season
Record at FIU: 44-49/third season
 
UAB BLAZERS
Record: 24-5, 14-2 C-USA
Last Game: W, 71-67 vs. WKU, February 27, 2016
Head Coach: Jerod Haase
Alma Mater: Kansas, 1997
Career Record: 78-51/fourth season
Record at school: Same
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: C-USA Digital Network
Pete Pelegrin (Play-by-play)      
Radio/Audio: FIU Sports Radio Network
Pete Pelegrin (Play-by-play)      
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: Series tied 2-2
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, call 305-FIU-GAME (348-4263). Single game tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on game day.
 
QUICK HITS
- FIU closes out the home portion of its regular season with a two-game homestand beginning on Thursday, March 3 against UAB ... Tipoff against the Blazers is at 7 p.m. ... The Panthers will take the court for the final time at home on Saturday, March 5 at 6 p.m. against Middle Tennessee.
 
- FIU has won two of its last four games, after losing five-straight ... That slide was on the heals of winning seven-of-nine from Dec. 22 through Jan. 23.
 
- The Panthers are coming off a 71-63 win at rival Florida Atlantic on Feb. 27 ... The victory snapped FIU's two-game losing streak and was its second win of the season over FAU.
 
- Daviyon Draper posted his second-straight 20-point game with a game-high 21 points to go along with his game-best 13 rebounds ... Donte McGill chipped in with 19 points and Adrian Diaz added 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
 
- McGill and Draper are tied for the team scoring lead, each averaging 16.0 points-per-game on the year ... Diaz is a close second, netting 15.7 points-per-outing ... Diaz also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.9 per game, and Draper is second pulling in 7.3 rebounds-per-outing.
 
- During FIU's recent seven losses in nine games skid, the Panthers dropped five of the seven by no more than five points.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- Following its game with UAB, the Panthers will welcome Middle Tennessee to Miami on Saturday, March 5, at 6 p.m. to close out the regular season ... That game will be televised live on the America Sports Network.
 
SCOUTING THE BLAZERS
- UAB, the top team in Conference USA, comes into its game with FIU with a 24-5 record and a 14-2 slate in league games ... The Blazers have won three-straight and six of their last seven ... UAB is coming off a 71-67 win over Western Kentucky at home.
 
- Chris Cokley leads the Blazers in scoring, averaging 13.5 points-per-game, while Robert Brown is netting 13.1 points-per-contest ... William Lee rounds out the double-figure scorers netting 10.4 points-per-outing ... Cokley also paces the team on the glass, grabbing 6.5 rebounds-per-game.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST UAB
- With its 74-69 win over FIU on Feb. 4 in Birmingham, the all-time series is now tied at 2-2 ... Both of the Panthers' wins have come in Miami.
 
EARLIER THIS SEASON AGAINST THE BLAZERS
- In its last outing against UAB, FIU dropped a tough 74-69 loss at UAB on Feb. 3 in Birmingham ... The setback was the Panthers' third-straight, and fourth in six games.
 
- Daviyon Draper led four players in double figures, scoring a game-high 16 points and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds ... Adrian Diaz added 14 points, six rebounds, five blocked shots and two steals, and Elmo Stephen and Michael Douglas chipped in with 12 points apiece off the bench ... Douglas' 12 points marked a career-high.
 
- The Panthers finished the game shooting 46.6 percent (27-of-58) from the field, and held a slight 37-36 advantage on the boards ... UAB, however, outrebounded FIU 11-8 on the offensive glass, leading to 14 second-chance points.
 
- FIU trailed by as many as 17 points, 57-40, with 13:06 left in the game, but staged a furious comeback to cut the UAB lead to two, 68-66, with 34 seconds remaining ... The Panthers, however, could not get any closer.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- The Panthers are coming off a 71-63 win at rival Florida Atlantic on Feb. 27 ... The victory snapped FIU's two-game losing streak and was its second win of the season over FAU.
 
- Daviyon Draper posted his second-straight 20-point game with a game-high 21 points to go along with his game-best 13 rebounds ... Donte McGill chipped in with 19 points and Adrian Diaz added 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
 
- The Panthers shot 41.9 percent (26-of-62) from the field, and hit 81.0 percent (17-of-21) from the free throw line ... FIU also outrebounded the Owls, 46-31, and 12-6 on the offensive glass leading to 15 second chance points.