EL PASO, Texas (January 12, 2018) - The FIU men's basketball team closes out its Lone Star State road trip as it travels to West Texas to face UTEP on Jan. 13. Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CUSA.tv with Jon Teicher and Steve Yellen calling the action. The Panthers look for their second-consecutive win and  their third win in the last five games.
 
Click here for complete FIU game notes.
 
This weekend's road trip to the Lone Star State is the first of two over the next three weeks for the Panthers. FIU will play three of the next five games in Texas. The Blue and Gold return to take on Rice (Jan. 26) and North Texas (Jan. 28).
 
Brian Beard. Jr. led FIU in scoring with 20 points in FIU's thrilling 79-76 win at UTSA on Jan. 11. Trejon Jacob added 16 points while Eric Lockett chipped in with 15 points in the victory. Michael Douglas and Osasumwen Osaghae each netted 10  points.
 
Jacob leads five players in double figures in the scoring column for FIU, averaging 16.5 points per game, while Beard, Jr. (15.0 ppg) and Lockett (14.0 ppg) are second and third. Willy Nunez, Jr. and Josh Stamps round out the double-digit scorers with a 12.7 and 12.0 point-per-game averages, respectively.
 
Beard, Jr. is still among the nation's leaders in steals-per-game, averaging 3.4 per-game, which is good enough for third in the nation.
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 8-9 overall, 2-2 C-USA
Last Game: W, 79-76 at UTSA, January 11, 2018
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994  
Career Record: 158-179/11th season
Record at FIU: 59-85/Fifth season
Top Players: Trejon Jacob (16.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg) | Brian Beard, Jr. (15.5 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.4 spg)
 
UTEP MINERS
Record: 6-11 overall, 1-4 C-USA
Last Game: L, 73-66 vs. Florida Atlantic, January 11, 2018
Head Coach: Phil Johnson (Interim)
Alma Mater: East Central Oklahoma, 1981
Career Record: 36-89/Fourth season
Record at school: 5-6/First season
Top Players: Keith Frazier (13.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg) | Omega Harris (12.1 ppg, 2.0 apg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: CUSA.tv
Jon Teicher (Play-by-play)
Steve Yellen (Color commentary)
Radio/Audio: FIUSports.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: UTEP leads series, 9-1
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, call the UTEP athletic ticket office at (915) 747-6150.
 
SCOUTING UTEP
- UTEP comes into Saturday's game with a 6-11 record and a 1-4 mark in Conference USA, following its 73-66 loss to Florida Atlantic on Jan. 11 ... The Miners have dropped their last three-straight and five of their last seven games, after winning four-straight ... UTEP began the season 1-6.
 
- Keith Frazier leads three players in double figures, averaging 13.4 points-per-game ... Omega Harris and Matt Willms are each netting 12.1 and 10.7 points-per-outing, respectively ... Frazier is also pacing the Miners on the boards, grabbing 5.7 rebounds-per-game.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST THE MINERS
- UTEP comes into Saturday's game with FIU, holding a commanding 9-1 series lead, dating back to the 1998-99 season ... The Panthers are 0-4 at home, 1-3 in El Paso, and 0-2 in neutral site games with those contests taking place in the Conference USA Tournament.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
- The Panthers will return to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Jan. 18, to face Old Dominion (7 p.m., ESPN3) and Charlotte on Jan. 20 (7 p.m.).
 
For ticket information or to purchase your tickets today, please visit FIUSports.com or call 305-FIU-GAME.

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