FIU vs. CHARLOTTE
Saturday, February 4, 2017 | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
Halton Arena | Charlotte, N.C.
 
Click here to watch the game live on ESPN3
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 5-17, 1-8 C-USA
Last Game: L, 64-57 at Old Dominion, February 2, 2017
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994 
Career Record: 148-163/10th season
Record at FIU:  49-69/Fourth season
Top Players: Donte McGill (19.0 ppg, 44.2% FG), Michael Kessens (13.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg)
               
CHARLOTTE 49ers
Record: 10-11, 4-6 C-USA
Last Game: L, 77-75 vs. Florida Atlantic, February 2, 2017
Head Coach: Mark Price
Alma Mater: Georgia Tech, 1986
Career Record: 24-30/Second season
Record at school: Same
Top Players: Jon Davis (19.5 ppg, 4.0 apg), Austin Ajukwa (11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN3
Bobby Rosinski (Play-by-Play)
Jobey Thomas (Color Commentary)       
Radio/Audio: charlotte49ers.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: Charlotte leads, 2-1
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, contact the Charlotte athletic ticket office at (704) 687-4949.
 
QUICK HITS
- The FIU men's basketball team closes out its two-game road trip on Saturday night, Feb. 4, when it faces Charlotte at 7 p.m. at Halton Arena ... Fans can catch the game live on ESPN3 with Bobby Rosinski calling the action and Joby Thomas handling color commentary.
 
- The Panthers are coming off a 64-57 loss to Old Dominion on Thursday night in Norfolk ... Donte McGill paced the way with a game-high 19 points while Michael Kessens added 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds ... Kessens's 13-and-12 marked his eighth double-double of the season and the 21st of his career spanning Longwood, Alabama and FIU.
 
- Donte McGill leads the team in scoring through 22 games, averaging 19.0 points-per-contest ... Michael Kessens is averaging 13.8 points-per-game, good enough for second on the team, and a team-high 9.5 rebounds-per-outing ... His rebounding average is tops in Conference USA ... Eric Nottage is netting 11.2 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
- FIU will return home on Feb. 9 to take on Rice (7 p.m.)  and North Texas on Feb. 11 (7 p.m.).
 
SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
- Charlotte comes into Saturday's game with a 10-11 record overall, and a 4-6 record in Conference USA after a tough 77-75 loss to Florida Atlantic on Thursday night ... The setback was the second-straight for the 49ers and their sixth in their last nine games.
 
- Jon Davis, along with FIU's Donte McGill, is one of the top scorers in Conference USA this season, averaging 19.5 points-per-game on the year ... Davis is one of four players on the 49ers roster that is averaging double figures in the scoring column ... Joining Davis is Austin Ajukwa (11.0 ppg), Adrien White (10.8 ppg) and Braxton Ogbueze (10.5 ppg) ... Anthony Vanhook leads the team on the glass, grabbing 6.2 rebounds-per-game.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST THE 49ers
- FIU and Charlotte have met three times all-time, with all three meetings coming as members of Conference USA ... The 49ers hold a 2-1 series lead ... The Panthers are 1-1 all-time at Halton Arena, defeating Charlotte, 78-70, on Jan. 31, 2015.FIU and Charlotte have met three times all-time, with all three meetings coming as members of Conference USA ... The 49ers hold a 2-1 series lead ... The Panthers are 1-1 all-time at Halton Arena, defeating Charlotte, 78-70, on Jan. 31, 2015.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. CHARLOTTE
- FIU dropped a 72-69 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 28, 2016 in its last meeting with the 49ers ... The loss snapped the Panthers' two-game winning streak, however was only their third loss in their last 10 games.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PANTHERS
- The FIU men's basketball team led for more than half the game on Thursday night against Old Dominion, but couldn't hang on down the stretch as ODU handed the Panthers a 64-57 loss in front of 5,757 at the Ted Constant Convention Center ... Donte McGill fell just one-point shy of his 22nd career 20-point game with a game-high 19 points. Michael Kessens added 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season and his 21st of his career.