GAME 16: FIU vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Saturday, January 7, 2017 | 2 p.m.
FAU Arena | Boca Raton, Fla.
American Sports Network (ASN) | americansportsnet.com

Click here to see if the FIU-Florida Atlantic game will be televised in your area.
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 4-11, 0-1 C-USA
Last Game: L, 69-66 vs. WKU, January 2, 2017
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 147-157/10th season
Record at FIU: 48-63/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (19.6 ppg, 43.9% FG), Michael Kessens (13.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg)     
 
FAU OWLS
Record: 4-9, 0-2 C-USA
Last Game: L, 89-72 vs. Marshall, January 2, 2017
Head Coach: Michael Curry
Alma Mater: Georgia Southern, 1990
Career Record: 21-54/Third season
Record at school: Same
Top Players: Adonis Filer (10.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg), Ronald Delph (10.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: American Sports Network & americansportsnet.com
Doug Bell (Play-by-play)
Jan van Breda Kolff (Color)
Radio/Audio: espnwestpalm.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: FIU leads, 22-15 (one FIU W vacated)
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, contact the FAU athletic ticket office at 561-297-0027.
 
QUICK HITS
The FIU men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 7 when it butts heads in the first of two meetings with longtime Conference USA rival Florida Atlantic ... Tipoff at FAU Arena in Boca Raton is scheduled for 2 p.m. ... Fans who can't make it out to the game can catch the action live on the America Sports Network - and streamed live online on americansportsnet.com - with Doug Bell calling the action and Jan van Breda Kolff providing color commentary ... Coming off a season-long five-game homestand, the Panthers' game against the Owls is the first of three on the road  which also includes a trip to the Lone Star state to face UTEP on Jan. 12 (9 p.m. ET) and UTSA on Jan. 14 (4 p.m. ET). 
 
- The Panthers are coming off a tough 69-66 loss to WKU on Jan. 2 in Miami ... Donte McGill poured in a game-high 26 points and Michael Kessens netted 17 points in the loss ... McGill and Kessens had 14 and 12 points apiece, respectively, in the second half ... Kessens also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds in the loss, two rebounds shy of recording his 20th career double-double.
 
- McGill leads the team in scoring through 15 games this season, averaging 19.6 points-per-contest ... Kessens is averaging a double-double, netting 13.6 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 10.0 rebounds-per-outing ... His rebounding average is tops in Conference USA and 28th in NCAA Division I (through games of Jan. 4) ... Eric Nottage is third in scoring, however drops just below double figures, averaging 9.7 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 Saturday's game at FAU, FIU heads 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.).
 
- The Panthers don't return home until Jan. 19, when they face defending Conference USA Tournament champion Middle Tennessee (7 p.m.) and UAB on Jan. 21 (7 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING FAU
- FAU comes into its meeting with the Panthers with a 4-9 record and an 0-2 mark in Conference USA play ... Adonis Filer is one of three players averaging in double figures, netting 10.5 points-per-game, while Ronald Delph and Justin Massey are averaging 10.0 points-per-contest ... Delph is also the Owls' top rebounder grabbing 7.8 boards-per-contest.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST THE OWLS
- FIU comes into its matchup with Florida Atlantic on Jan. 7 leading the all-time series against the Owls, 22-15 ... The actual on-court record is 23-15, however, the Panthers had to vacate one win due to NCAA sanctions.
 
- The first meeting of the year between the two rivals will mark the first of two regular season games in a 19-day stretch ... FAU will travel to Miami to face the Panthers on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
 
- The Panthers have won six-straight games, against FAU, and eight of their last nine dating back to the 2011-12 season.
 
- There have been two overtime games between the two schools, with FAU winning both, 91-88 on Feb. 28, 2007 and 80-78 on Feb. 19, 2011.
 
LAST YEAR VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
- FIU swept the season series with Florida Atlantic during the 2015-16 campaign, 76-59 in the Conference USA opener on Jan. 3, 2016 in Miami and 71-63, in Boca Raton, on March 27, 2016.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU is coming off a tough 69-66 loss to WKU on Jan. 2 in Miami ... Donte McGill poured in a game-high 26 points and Michael Kessens netted 17 points in the loss ... McGill and Kessens had 14 and 12 points apiece, respectively, in the second half ... Kessens also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds in the loss, two rebounds shy of recording his 20th career double-double ... Scan the QR code with your mobile device to see the complete game recap and stats.
 
- The Panthers' three-point margin of defeat against the Hilltoppers marked the fifth loss this season by five points or less, and seventh of seven points or less … In addition, dating back to last season, FIU has dropped 16 of 30 games by six points or less.
 
- FIU's 82.4 percent (14-of-17) mark from the free-throw line against WKU marks the fifth time this year that the Panthers have shot 80 percent or better from the charity stripe.
 
- McGill's 26-point outburst against WKU was his third highest point total of his collegiate career, only behind his 29-point outing against Louisiana Tech (Jan. 14, 2016) and his 27 points earlier this season at Elon (Nov. 30, 2016) … McGill has poured in 20-plus points in 17 of his last 35 games and in 19 of his last 40 outings, dating back to last season, including eight 20-point or better games this season.
 
- McGill grabbed a season-high seven rebounds against WKU … In his last three games he has 19 total rebounds for 6.3 rebounds-per-game.