Game Details
FIU 87, South Alabama 58
FIU (4-4), South Alabama (5-4)
Miami, Fla. | Ocean Bank Convocation Center
 
The Basics
- The FIU men's basketball team closed out its three-game homestand on Saturday night with a 87-58 win over South Alabama at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The win is the Panthers' second-straight and improves their record to 4-4 on the year, while the Jaguars drop to 5-4.
 
- The Panthers placed five players in double figures for the second-straight game, led by Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina) with 26 points and Eric Lockett (Warner Robins, Georgia) with 16. Willy Nunez, Jr. (Orlando, Florida) and Brian Beard, Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California) each chipped in with 14 points apiece, and Hassan Hussein (Lorton, Virginia) had 12 points.
 
- With the game tied at 11-all with 15:46 left in the first half, the Panthers put together a 10-0 run to put their lead into double-digits, on a Lockett three-point shot to make the score 21-11 with 13:56 left. FIU eventually pushed its advantage to 20 points, 43-23, on a Jacob layup with 7:08 left in the half. The Panthers took their largest halftime lead of the season into the locker room at the break, 49-32, behind Jacob's 19 points and 11 points from Nunez, Jr. FIU also hit for a blistering 62.5 percent (20-for-32) from the field, including 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from behind the three-point arc.
 
- FIU never took its foot off the gas in the second half, keeping the advantage in the 20's for the majority of the second stanza, while pushing its advantage to a season-high 31 points, 87-56, with 1:32 left on a layup by Lockett.
 
- For the game, the Panthers shot 47.8 percent (32-for-67) from the field … FIU also forced the Jaguars into 17 miscues on the night.
 
The Turning Point
The Panthers took control of the contest and separated themselves from the Jaguars with their 10-0 run in the first half. Jacob scored four of the 10 points, coming on back-to-back plays, following a three-point shot by Beard, Jr. Lockett capped the run by hitting a trey to put FIU up 21-11, after being deadlocked at 11-all.
 
Stat of the Game
FIU played almost a flawless game in terms of ball control, committing just one turnover against South Alabama, its fewest miscues since Nov. 13, 2015 in the season-opener against Trinity Baptist (5). The Panthers' previous low this season was seven against Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 19. On the other side, FIU forced South Alabama into 17 turnovers on the night which led to 16 points for the Panthers.
 
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 1-3 with this starting five.

- FIU's 85 points was the most scored since netting 90 points in a 90-71 win over North Texas on Feb. 11, 2017.

- The Panthers' 29-point margin of victory is the largest since Nov. 13, 2015 when FIU defeated Trinity Baptist, 71-39 (+32).

- G Eric Lockett's 16 points marks his seventh double-figure scoring game of the season and the 11^th of his career … Lockett has netted double figures in nine of his last 11 games dating back to the end 2016-17 season.

- Lockett also tied his career-high for assists with seven against South Alabama … Lockett also dished out seven against Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 19.

- G Brian Beard, Jr.'s 14 points marks his sixth double-figure scoring performance of the season, and the sixth-straight.

- Beard, Jr. recorded a career-high with five steals against South Alabama, surpassing his previous best of three, two times, with the last coming against Milwaukee on Nov. 18.

- G Trejon Jacob netted double-figures for the eighth time this season with his career-high 26 points, including 19 in the first half … Jacob finished the game shooting 62.5 percent (10-for-16) from the field … His 26 points marks his second 20-point effort of his FIU career, and his second in the last four games. He netted 23 points against Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 19.

Up Next
FIU gets a well-deserved break before heading on the road for two consecutive games at USF on Dec. 11 (7 p.m., ESPN3) and at North Florida on Dec. 13 (Dec. 13, ESPN3).

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