Game Details
James Madison 76, FIU 67
FIU (5-6), UNF (4-8)
Miami Shores, Fla. | Barry University Health & Sports Center
 
The Basics
- The FIU men's basketball team started a season-long six-game home stretch on Saturday night with a 76-67 loss to James Madison at the Barry University Health & Sports Center. The game was moved to Barry due to scheduling conflicts with the Ocean Bank Convocation Center ultimately caused by Hurricane Irma. The loss drops the Panthers to 5-6 on the year, while the Dukes improve to 4-8. 
 
- Willy Nunez, Jr. (Orlando, Florida/Indian River State College/Oak Ridge) led four players in double figures with 18 points and Hassan Hussein (Lorton, Virginia) added 17 points. Brian Beard. Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California) and Eric Lockett (Warner Robins, Georgia) chipped in with 10 points apiece.
 
- Despite shooting a blistering 54.2 percent from the field in the first half, the Panthers trailed at the intermission, 35-29, due in large part to FIU turning the ball over 13 times. Those turnovers led to 11 JMU points off the miscues in the first 20 minutes. In addition, the Panthers shot just 3-for-9 from the free throw line in the first stanza.
 
- FIU came out in the second half on fire and used a 12-2 run to get back in the game and take a 41-37 lead on a Hussein jumper with 15:43 left. The Panthers extended their advantage to their game-high five, 44-39, on their next possession on a deep three by Nunez, Jr. with 13:18 left. The Dukes took the lead for good on a Stuckey Mosley trey with 6:54 left in the game to make the score, 56-53.
 
- The Panthers shot 46.3 percent (25-for-54) from the field on the night, their fourth highest percentage of the season, but only hit 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from behind the arc and 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the free-throw line in the loss. They also recorded their lowest steal total of the season, with five.
 
The Turning Point
With 2:36 remaining in the game, and FIU trailing by just one point, James Madison proceeded to score 14 of the final 20 points of the game, including going 9-for-10 in the final 44 seconds of the game from the free-throw line to put the game out of reach.
 
Stat of the Game
FIU's advantage in the high percentage shots in the paint was 36-28, and their 16-9 advantage in fast break points were offset by committing a season-high 18 turnovers that led to 21 James Madison points.   
 
Notable
- Tonight's starters for FIU were: G Trejon Jacob, G Brian Beard, Jr., G Eric Lockett, F Hassan Hussein, C Elhadji Dieng (Mbour, Senegal) … The Panthers are 2-5 with this starting five.

- G Eric Lockett's 10 points marks his 10^th double-figure scoring game of the season and the 14^th of his career … Lockett has netted double figures in 12 of his last 14 games, dating back to the end 2016-17 season.

- G Brian Beard, Jr.'s 10 points marks his ninth double-figure scoring performance of the season, and the ninth-straight.

- Although Beard, Jr. had a rough shooting night, 3-for-10 from the field (including 0-for-5 for three), he looked to get his teammates involved offensively with a career-high tying seven assists, equaling his total in the season-opener against Florida Memorial on Nov. 10.

- F Hassan Hussein's 17 points marks his fourth-straight double-figure scoring performance and the fifth of his career … It looked like Hussein was going to cap off a special day, after taking part in FIU's 3 p.m. graduation ceremony earlier on Saturday, with a career-high, however his 17 points fell one-point shy of his career-best of 18 set against North Florida on Dec. 13 … Hussein led the team in rebounding for the second game in a row, grabbing seven against the Dukes … Hussein graduated with a bachelors degree in information technology.

- Hussein was once again hot from the floor, shooting 70.0 percent (7-for-10) from the field … It is his fourth-straight game hitting for better than 57.0 percent from the field.

- G Willy Nunez, Jr. scored in double figures for the fourth time in his FIU career and the fourth time in the past five games with his team-high 18 points … Nunez, Jr. was 7-for-14 (50.0 percent) and 4-for-9 (44.4 percent) from behind the three-point arc. 

Up Next
FIU returns to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Tuesday, Dec. 19, against cross-state rival Florida Gulf Coast. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. The game will be the first of five-straight games played at the OBCC.

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