MIAMI (February 27, 2018) – The FIU men's basketball team begins the final week of the regular season with two road games, starting at Charlotte on March 1. Tipoff at Halton Arena is slated for 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on CUSA.tv with Matt Swierad calling all the action. Coming off its fifth-straight home Conference USA win, FIU looks for its third-consecutive victory which would equal a season-high.
 
Click here for complete FIU game notes
 
Brian Beard, Jr., comes into the Charlotte game just three steals shy of equaling the school single-season record of 87 steals set by Carlos Morban during the 2001-02 campaign.
 
Josh Stamps led four players in double figures in the scoring column, with 15 points off the bench, in FIU's 67-64 win over Rice on Feb. 24. Stamps' total tied his career high. Eric Lockett added 14 points, while Beard, Jr., and Trejon Jacob added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Lockett also grabbed nine rebounds, falling one board shy of his sixth career double-double.
 
Beard, Jr. leads the Panthers in scoring, averaging 15.9 points-per-game. He leads four players in double figures in the scoring column for FIU, along with Jacob (14.7 ppg) and Lockett (13.9 ppg) who are second and third, respectively. Stamps is averaging 10.3 points-per-game.
 
Beard, Jr. is still among the nation's leaders in steals-per-game, averaging 3.0 per-outing, which is good enough for a share of second in the nation (through Feb. 25).
 
FIU PANTHERS
Record: 13-16 overall, 7-9 C-USA
Last Game: W, 67-64 vs. Rice, February 24, 2018
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994  
Career Record: 163-186/11th season
Record at FIU: 64-99/Fifth season
Top Players: Brian Beard, Jr. (15.9 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.0 spg), Trejon Jacob (14.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
 
CHARLOTTE 49ERS
Record: 5-22 overall, 1-15 C-USA
Last Game: L, 103-75 at Marshall, February 24, 2018
Head Coach: Houston Fancher
Alma Mater: Middle Tennessee, 1988
Career Record: 2-16/First season
Record at school: Same
Top Players: Jon Davis (16.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Adrien White (14.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: CUSA.tv
Matt Swierad (Play-by-play)
Video/Radio/Audio: FIUSports.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: Charlotte leads series, 3-2
Twitter: @FIUHoops
Tickets: For ticket information, contact the Charlotte athletic ticket office at 704-687-4949.
 
SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
- Charlotte comes into Thursday's game with FIU with a 5-22 record and a 1-15 mark in Conference USA ... The 49ers have dropped 14-straight games since their last win at North Texas (70--68) on Jan. 4.  

- Jon Davis leads Charlotte in scoring, averaging 16.4 points-per-game ... Adrien White is second, netting 14.3 points-per-outing and shares team-high rebounding honors, with Najee Garvin, grabbing 4.9 boards-per contest.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST THE 49ERS
- FIU and Charlotte have met five times all-time, with all four meetings coming as members of Conference USA ... The 49ers hold a 3-2 series lead.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
FIU closes out the regular season on Saturday, March 3, when its travels to Norfolk, Virginia, to face Old Dominion at 7 p.m. Following the regular season finale, the Panthers will travel to Frisco, Texas, for the Conference USA Tournament at the Ford Center at the Star, March 7-10.
 
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