BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 4, 2017) – The FIU men's basketball team played the role of spoiler on Saturday night against UAB, even if it was just spoiling Senior Night for the Blazers' five players that were honored prior to the game. The Panthers handed UAB a 68-56 loss in front of nearly 4,000 stunned fans at Bartow Arena, sweeping the season series.

One group of seniors whose night wasn't spoiled were FIU's, who helped to spearhead the Panthers' impressive victory. Graduate student Michael Kessens recorded his first double-double since Feb. 2 at Old Dominion with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. It was his ninth double-double of the season and the 22nd of his career. Anthony Boswell also found his way into double figures with 11 points. Eric Nottage didn't reach double digits in the scoring column, however the Miami native dished out a career-high 12 assists – while only turning the ball over once – to go along with seven rebounds.

Elmo Stephen was also a factor in the win with nine points, all coming from behind the three-point arc and in crucial situations.

The lone player in double figures who will return next season was redshirt sophomore Eric Lockett, who tied his career-high with 14 points.

The Panthers finish the season with a 7-24 overall record and a 3-15 mark in Conference USA. The Blazers close out the regular season 16-15 overall and 9-9 in league play. 

Like on Thursday at Middle Tennessee, the Panthers came out and took the upper hand early in the first stanza. After the first two points pf the game were scored by UAB on two free throws less than one minute into the contest, FIU took the lead and did not relinquish it for the remainder of the first stanza when Anthony Boswell hit one of his two first half three-point shots to make the score 8-5 with 14:04 left in the half.

The Panthers pushed the lead to many as 11 points, 20-9, during the first 20 minutes of action on Boswell's second trey of the half with 10:11 left before the break.

The Blazers got the lead down to less than five twice in the final 7:28 but each time FIU would squash UAB's momentum.

FIU eventually took a 38-32 lead into the intermission behind Lockett's 10 first half points and the Panthers' 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from the field.

Things got a lot tighter in the second half as UAB started the second stanza on a 10-2 run to take its first lead since the 19:19 mark of the first half, when Chris Cokley converted a layup with 14:25 left in the game to make the score 42-40 Blazers.

FIU, however, retaliated with its own 9-0 run led by six Hassan Hussein points on three-straight possessions and a Boswell three that put the Panthers in the lead for good, 49-42 with 12:32 left in the game. Those six points were the only ones that Hussein scored on the night.

UAB got the FIU lead down to as little as three, 58-55, on a William Lee dunk with 2:40 left, but did not get any closer.

The Panthers finished the game hitting 46.6 percent (27-of-58) from the field and a perfect 100 percent (6-of-6) from the free-throw line. UAB was clearly bothered by FIU's defense, shooting just 31.7 percent (19-of-60) from the floor and a dismal 16 percent (4-of-25 from three-point range.

Other players who had big nights for FIU were Hassan Hussein and Ronald Whitaker with six points apiece. Whitaker's point total marked a career-high.

Fans are encouraged to follow @FIUHoops on Twitter, and "Like" FIU men's basketball on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/FIUMensBBall) for the latest Panther basketball news.

Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and at the FIU Football Stadium.
 
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is Worlds Ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.