GAME 17: FIU vs. UTEP
Thursday, January 12, 2017 | 9 p.m. (ET)
Don Haskins Center | El Paso, Texas | C-USA TV
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 4-12, 0-3 C-USA
Last Game: L, 73-64 vs. FAU, January 7, 2017
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 147-158/10th season
Record at FIU: 48-64/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (18.8 ppg, 43.8% FG), Michael Kessens (14.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg)     
 
UTEP MINERS
Record: 2-13, 0-3 C-USA
Last Game: L, 73-65 at Southern Miss, January 7, 2017
Head Coach: Tim Floyd
Alma Mater: Louisiana Tech, 1977
Career Record: 452-270/23rd season
Record at school: 124-90/Seventh season
Top Players: Omega Harris (17.4 ppg, 46.4 FG%), Dominic Artis (15.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: UTEPathletics.com
Radio/Audio: UTEPathletics.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: UTEP leads series, 7-1
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, contact the UTEP athletic ticket office at (915) 747-6150.
 
QUICK HITS
- The Panthers continue their three-game road stretch on Jan. 12 when they travel to El Paso, Texas to face UTEP ... Tipoff at the Don Haskins Center is scheduled for 9 p.m. (ET) ... This will be FIU's only trip to the Lone Star State after making two Texas swing trips during the 2015-16 campaign (UTSA/UTEP and North Texas/Rice) ... The Panthers will complete their trek through the Southwest on Jan. 14 when they head to San Antonio to face UTSA at 4 p.m. (ET).
 
- The Panthers are coming off a 73-64 loss to Florida Atlantic on Jan. 7 in Boca Raton ... The loss snapped a six-game winning streak in the series for FIU against the Owls ... Michael Kessens paced the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs, marking his seventh double-double of the season, and the 20th of his collegiate career ... Eric Nottage scored 11 points.
 
- McGill leads the team in scoring through 16 games this season, averaging 18.8 points-per-contest ... Kessens is averaging a double-double, netting 14.1 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 10.1 rebounds-per-outing ... His rebounding average is tops in Conference USA and 25th in NCAA Division I (through games of Jan. 10) ... Eric Nottage is third in scoring, averaging 9.8 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 Thursday's game with the Miners, FIU will travel to San Antonio to face UTSA on Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. (ET)
 
- The Panthers don't return home until Jan. 19, when they face defending Conference USA Tournament champion Middle Tennessee (7 p.m.) and then UAB on Jan. 21 (7 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING UTEP
- UTEP comes into its game with FIU with a 2-13 record and an 0-3 mark in Conference USA play ... The Miners have dropped their last 12 straight after starting the season winning two out of their first three games ... UTEP is coming off a 73-65 loss at Southern Miss on Jan. 7 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
 
- Thursday's game will be the first home game for the Miners since Dec. 22 against UC Irvine ... UTEP has played its first three Conference USA games on the road, at UTSA (L, 67-55) on Jan. 1, at Louisiana Tech (L, 64-44) on Jan. 5 and most recently at Southern Miss.
 
- Omega Harris leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 points-per-game on the year, while Dominic Artis and Matt Williams are netting 15.1 and 10.1 points-per-game, respectively ... Artis is also the team leader in rebounds, grabbing 6.5 per contest.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST THE MINERS
- UTEP comes into Thursday's game with FIU holding a commanding 7-1 series lead, dating back to the 1998-99 season ... The Panthers are 0-3 at home, 1-2 in El Paso, and 0-2 in neutral site games with those contests taking place over the last two seasons in the Conference USA Tournament.
 
LAST YEAR AGAINST UTEP
- FIU dropped two of three games during the 2015-16 season against UTEP ... The Panthers defeated the Miners in the first meeting of the season, 79-68, for their first-ever win against UTEP on Jan. 23 ... The Miners won the final two meetings of the season, 84-74, on Feb. 11 in Miami and 85-77 on March 9 in the Conference USA Tournament.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- The Panthers are coming off a 73-64 loss to Florida Atlantic on Jan. 7 in Boca Raton ... The loss snapped a six-game winning streak in the series for FIU against the Owls ... Michael Kessens paced the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs, marking his seventh double-double of the season, and the 20th of his collegiate career ... Eric Nottage scored 11 points.