Game Details
FIU 79, Florida National 61
FIU (3-4), Florida National (7-4)
Miami, Fla. | Ocean Bank Convocation Center
 
The Basics
- The FIU men's basketball team got back on the winning track on Wednesday night with a 79-61 win over Florida National University at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Eric Lockett (Warner Robins, Georgia) led five players in double figures with 20 points while Willy Nunez, Jr. Orlando, Florida/Indian River State College/Oak Ridge HS) added a career-high 19 points in the win. Brian Beard, Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California) had 15 points, Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina) had 11 points and Isaiah Banks (Conyers, Georgia) chipped in with 10 points.
 
- FIU shot an impressive 51.5 percent (17-for-33) from the field, including 46.2 percent (6-for-13) from behind the three-point arc, and 80 percent (4-for-5) from the charity stripe in the first half. Despite Florida National hanging tough, the Panthers took a 44-31 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
- The Conquistadors cut the Panthers lead to nine points, 44-35, 41 seconds into the second stanza, but that would be as close as Florida National got the rest of the game. FIU extended its lead to as many as 28 points, 77-49 in the second stanza, when they hit two free throws with 4:41 left in the game. After hitting 51.5 percent from the floor in the first half, the Panthers improved on that, shooting at a 53.8 percent clip (14-for-26) in the second half.
 
The Turning Point
Trailing 12-11 with 13:59 left in the first half, the Panthers opened the game up with a 13-0 run over a three-plus minute stretch, to take a 24-12 lead on an Isaiah Banks alley-oop dunk from Willy Nunez, Jr. with 10:22 left in the first stanza. During the run, FIU hit its first six shots.
 
Stat of the Game
For the game, FIU shot a season-high 52.5 percent (31-for-59) from the field, its highest shooting percentage since netting 65.3 percent (32-for-49) of shots from the floor against UAB on Jan. 21, 2017.
 
Notable
- Tonight's starters for FIU were: G Trejon Jacob, G Brian Beard, Jr., G Eric Lockett, F Hassan Hussein (Lorton, Virginia), F Jay Harvey (Chicago, Illinois) … The Panthers are 1-0 with this starting five.

- F Jay Harvey started his first career game tonight for the Panthers.

- G Willy Nunez, Jr. scored a career-high 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting (53.8 percent) from the field and 5-for-8 from three-point range (62.5 percent).

- G Erick Lockett's 20 points marks his sixth double-figure scoring game of the season and the 10^th of his career … Lockett has netted double figures in eight of his last 10 games dating back to the 2016-17 season … In addition, his 20-point effort is his fourth in the last five games.

- G Brian Beard Jr.'s 15 points marks his fifth-straight double-figure scoring performance of the season … Beard, Jr. finished the game hitting 60.0 percent (6-for-10) from the field in the win.

- Trejon Jacob scored in double figures in his seventh-straight game with the Panthers, netting 11 points, his seventh double-figure scoring game of the year.

- G Isaiah Banks recorded his second double-figure scoring game of the season, netting 10 points.

- The Panthers controlled the pain, outscoring Florida National 44-20 in the lane … FIU also took advantage of its athleticism, outscoring the Conquistadors 17-2 in fast-break points.

- FIU recorded a season-high six rebounds against FNU, its most since swatting eight against UAB on Feb. 4, 2016.
                                                                                                                                 
Up Next
FIU closes out its three-game home stretch on Saturday, Dec. 2, when the Panthers' old Sun Belt Conference foe, South Alabama, visits the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

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