GAME 31: FIU vs. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Saturday, March 5, 2016 | 6 p.m.
Lime Court at FIU Arena | Miami, Fla. | American Sports Network
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 13-17, 7-10 C-USA
Last Game: L, 77-60 vs. UAB, March 3, 2016
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 143-144/ninth season
Record at FIU: 44-50/third season
 
MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS
Record: 20-9, 12-5 C-USA
Last Game: W, 76-59 at Florida Atlantic, March 3, 2016
Head Coach: Kermit Davis
Alma Mater: Mississippi State, 1982
Career Record: 408-249/21st season
Record at school: 271-174/14th season
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: American Sports Network
Jeff McCarragher (Play-by-play)               
Mack McCarthy (Color commentary)
Radio/Audio: None
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: Middle Tennessee leads series, 26-8
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: Call the FIU athletics 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 closes out its 2015-16 regular season on Saturday, March 5 when it faces Middle Tennessee on Lime Court at FIU Arena ... Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised live on the American Sports Network.
 
- Prior to the game, the Panthers will honor their two lone seniors, Adrian Diaz and Daviyon Draper, during their annual Senior Night ceremony. 
 
- The Panthers are coming off a 77-60 loss to Conference USA regular season champion, UAB, on Thursday night ... The loss is FIU's third in its last four games, and eighth in its last 10.
 
- Donte McGill led the Panthers in scoring with 17 points while Daviyon Draper added 13 points in the loss ... McGill, Draper and Adrian Diaz each grabbed six rebounds.
 
- McGill leads FIU in the scoring column, on the year, netting 16.0 points-per-game, while Draper is right behind averaging 15.9 points-per-contest ... Diaz is a close third, netting 15.5 points-per-outing ... Diaz also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.8-per-game, and Draper is second pulling in 7.2 rebounds-per-outing.
 
- During FIU's recent eight losses in 10 games skid, the Panthers dropped five of the eight by no more than five points.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- Following its game with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, FIU will head to the Conference USA Tournament, March 8-12 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala. ... Tournament seedings and game times will be determined later Saturday evening.
 
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
- Middle Tennessee comes into tonight's game with a 20-9 record, and an 16-5 ledger in Conference USA, following its 76-59 win at Florida Atlantic on Thursday night ... Although the Blue Raiders have won six of their last nine, they have also dropped three of their last six games.
 
- Giddy Pottis leads four players in double figures, averaging 14.4 points-per-game ... Reggie Upshaw and Darnel Harris are second and third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 and 12.1 point-per-game, respectively ... Perrin Buford is averaging 11.6 points-per-outing ... Upshaw also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 8.6 per contest.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST MIDDLE TENNESSEE
- The Blue Raiders hold a commanding 26-8 lead on FIU in the all-time series ... Middle Tennessee has won 11 of its last 13 games against the Panthers, however FIU has taken three of the last four ... FIU last defeated Middle Tennessee, 59-54, on March 5, 2015 in Miami.
 
EARLIER THIS SEASON AGAINST THE BLUE RAIDERS
- FIU suffered a 67-66 loss at Middle Tennessee on Feb. 6 ... 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.
 
LAST TIME PUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- The Panthers are coming off a 77-60 loss to Conference USA regular season champion, UAB on Thursday night ... The loss is FIU's third in its last four games, and eighth in its last 10.
 
- Donte McGill led the Panthers in scoring with 17 points while Daviyon Draper added 13 points in the loss ... McGill, Draper and Adrian Diaz each grabbed six rebounds.
 
- FIU shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the field, including 50.0 percent (10-of-20) in the first half, however could not overcome the turnover bug which bit the Panthers to the tune of a season-high 22 miscues ... Those 22 turnovers led to 26 UAB points on the night.