MIAMI (March 6, 2018) – The No. 8-seeded FIU men's basketball team begins play in the 2018 C-USA Basketball Championships presented by Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star, on Wednesday, March 7, against the No. 9 Seed Southern Miss. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. The winner of the game between the Panthers and the Golden Eagles will face the C-USA regular season champion, and No. 1 seed, Middle Tennessee on Thursday, March 8 at 7 p.m. ET.  
 
Click here for complete FIU Tournament Guide 
 
FIU comes into the C-USA Tournament having won three of its last four games, and five of its last nine. The Panthers closed out the regular season on March 3, with a disappointing 79-53 loss at Old Dominion. The loss snapped FIU's modest three-game winning streak and was its worst setback of the season.
 
Eric Lockett (Warner Robins, Georgia) led the Panthers in scoring, against the Monarchs, with 15 points, while Josh Stamps (Chicago, Illinois) added 13 points in the loss. Jay Harvey (Chicago, Illinois) and Osasumwen Osaghae (Miami, Florida) each shared team-high rebounding honors with seven boards apiece.
 
Brian Beard, Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California) 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 Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina) (14.8 ppg) and Lockett (14.3 ppg) who are second and third, respectively. Stamps rounds out the double-figure scorers, averaging 10.1 points-per-game.
 
Beard, Jr. is still among the nation's leaders in steals-per-game, averaging 2.97 per-outing, which is good enough for third in the nation (through March 3).
 
NO. 8 FIU PANTHERS
Record: 14-17 overall, 8-10 C-USA
Last Game: L, 79-53 at Old Dominion, March 3, 2018
Head Coach: Anthony Evans
Alma Mater: St. Thomas Aquinas, 1994  
Career Record: 164-187/11th season
Record at FIU: 65-93/Fifth season
Top Players: Brian Beard, Jr. (15.9 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.0 spg), Trejon Jacob (14.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg)X
 
NO. 9 SOUTHERN MISS
Record: 14-17, 7-11 C-USA
Last Game: W, 72-64 vs. Louisiana Tech, March 3, 2018
Head Coach: Doc Sadler
 
NO. 1 MIDDLE TENNESSEE (If necessary)
Record: 24-6, 16-2 C-USA
Last Game: L, 76-67 vs. Marshall, March 3, 2018
Head Coach: Kermit Davis
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Wednesday: TV/Stream Facebook
Doug Anderson (Play-by-play)
Kyle Youmans (Color)
Madi Morris (Sideline)
Thursday TV/Stream: Stadium/Twitter
Ron Thulin (Play-by-play)
Tim Scarborough (Color)
Rachel Lindsay (Sideline)
Video/Radio/Audio: None
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Twitter: @FIUHoops
 
THE SERIES AGAINST THE GOLDEN EAGLES
- FIU and Southern Miss have met just five times all-time, with the Golden Eagles leading the series, 3-2 ... The Panthers' two wins were a 73-71 decision in overtime on Feb. 12, 2015, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and earlier this season, 76-70, in Miami on March 1 ... FIU and Southern Miss have never played in a neutral site game.
 
THE SEEDS
- FIU's No. 8 seed in this year's C-USA Basketball Championships presented by Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star, is its highest seed since joining Conference USA. During the 2016 tournament, the Panthers were a No. 11 seed, one year after earning their previous highest seed in the event, No. 10, during the 2015 tournament. FIU is seeded eighth for the sixth time in its conference tournament history, and currently hold an impressive 4-1 record at that slot. The Panthers' highest seed ever in a conference tournament was No. 2 at the 1997 and 1998 Trans America Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
- This marks just the third appearance for FIU in the Conference USA Championship. During the 2016 tournament, as a No. 10 seed, the Panthers dropped an 85-77 decision to the No. 6 seed, UTEP. In its first-ever Conference USA Tournament, the Panthers defeated No. 7 seed, UTSA, 57-54 on a half-court shot by former FIU standout Dennis Mavin, before being eliminated by the No. 2 seed, UTEP, 83-71, in the quarterfinal round. FIU is 17-21 all-time in conference tournament games ranging from the Trans America Athletic Conference (now Atlantic Sun), Sun Belt, and Conference USA tournaments, and 1-2 all-time in the C-USA Tourney.
 
UP NEXT FOR FIU
The winner of the FIU-Southern Miss game will take on the No. 1 seed, Middle Tennessee, on March 8, at 7 p.m. ET.
 
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