Game Details
UTEP 72, FIU 68
FIU (8-10, 2-3 C-USA), UTEP (7-11, 2-4 C-USA)
El Paso, Texas | Don Haskins Center
 
The Basics
- The FIU men's basketball team got a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds from Hassan Hussein (Lorton, Virginia) and a career-best 19 points and 10 rebounds from Michael Douglas (Sachse, Texas), but the Panthers could not complete a crucial weekend sweep of the Lone Star State as UTEP handed the Blue and Gold a 72-68 loss at the Don Haskins Center on Saturday night. The loss drops FIU to 8-10 on the year and 2-3 in C-USA, while UTEP improves to 7-11 overall and 2-4 in league play.
 
- The Miners shut down two-thirds of the Panthers' leading scorers, holding Eric Lockett (Warner Robins, Georgia) to eight points and FIU's leading scorer Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina) to a career-low one point. Jacob and Lockett came into Saturday's contest averaging 16.5 and 14.0 points-per-game, respectively. In addition, the Panthers could not overcome 46.7 percent (14-for-30) shooting from the free-throw line on the night.  
 
- The Miners came out of the gate fast, jumping out to a 13-2 lead less than five minutes into the game, a run that also consisted of a 10-0 stretch. Michael Douglas (Sachse, Texas) stopped the run after hitting a deep three-point shot, for three of his 10 first-half points. The Panthers battled back scoring seven of the next nine points, capped by a Douglas jumper, to cut the lead to three, 15-12, with 9:05 left in the first half. That was as close as FIU got in the first stanza as UTEP took a 30-18 lead into the locker room at the break. The Panthers' 18 first-half points were the fewest scored by FIU in a half this season.
 
- FIU started the second half scoring 11 of the first 15 points or the stanza, to cut the Miners' lead to five points, 34-29, on a Cordell Veira (Etobicoke, Ontario) trey, before UTEP seemingly took back control of the contest pushing its advantage to 12 points with 13:37 left in the game. The Panthers didn't go quietly, however using a 13-0 run to take a one-point lead, 46-45, on a layup by Brian Beard, Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California) for two of his 13 points. Despite keeping UTEP within striking distance, the Panthers could not close out the night shooting 5-for-12 from the charity stripe in the final five minutes of the contest.
 
- On the night, FIU shot just 41.7 percent (25-for-60) from the field, including a tough 19.0 percent (4-for-21) from behind the arc.
 
Stat of the Game
Known for using their defense to create offense – and as one of the nations leaders in steals-per-game – the Panthers forced UTEP into just five turnovers on the night, leading to only nine points. The Miners' five miscues was the second fewest forced by FIU this season.
 
Notable
- Tonight's starters for FIU were: G Trejon Jacob, G Brian Beard, Jr., G Eric Lockett, F Hassan Hussein, and C Elhadji Dieng (Mbour, Senegal) … The Panthers are 4-9 with this starting five.

- Brian Beard, Jr.'s 13 points marks his 16^th double-figure scoring performance of the season, and the 16^th-straight.

- Mike Douglas's career-high 19 points marks his fourth double-figure scoring game of the season – and the third in the last four games – and the sixth of his career.

- Douglas' 19 points and 10 rebounds marks his first career double-double in an FIU uniform.

- Hassan Hussein's career-high 19 points is his fifth double-figure scoring game of the year and the sixth of his career. 

Up Next
The Panthers 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.).
  
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