Game Details
Southern Miss 69, FIU 68  
FIU (14-18), Southern Miss (15-17)
Frisco, Texas | Ford Center at the Star
 
FRISCO, Texas (March 7, 2018) – FIU's Brian Beard Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California) scored a career-high 30 points nearly rallying the No. 8 seed Panthers to a win, but No. 9 seed Southern Miss held off a furious Panther second-half rally to hold on for a 69-68 win in the first round of the Conference USA Basketball Championships. Eric Lockett (Warner Robins, Georgia) added 15 points for FIU, which overcame a 15-point deficit in the final 16 minutes.
 
The Panthers finished their 2017-18 campaign 14-18 overall, winning three of their last five games. FIU nearly made it four of the last six against the Golden Eagles. The Panthers came all the way back after being down 42-28 with 16:10 remaining. Two free throws from Osasumwen Osaghae (Miami, Florida/Robert Morgan H.S. {Southridge H.S.}), who came off the bench for six points in the second half, tied the game, 55-55, with 3:38.
 
Southern Miss took the lead back for good after Dominic Magee's free throw and a layup by Cortez Edwards after a steal put the Golden Eagles ahead, 58-55. Beard Jr.'s layup in the paint made it, 58-57, but that's as close as FIU would come with 1:45 left. D'Angelo Richardson's third trey of the game put Southern Miss ahead 61-57.
 
Lockett's two free throws with 6:43 to go put the Panthers ahead 51-50. After Southern Miss made a three, Lockett's put-back after two failed attempts tied the game, 53-53, with 4:59 left. The teams traded free throws tying again, 55-55 with 3:38 to go.
 
FIU trailed 43-28 after Southern Miss opened the second half with a 9-3 run. Beard Jr. brought the Panthers back within 45-38 scoring six points during a 10-2 Panther run. The Panthers got within 46-42 after a layup by Lockett. Beard Jr. made the second of two free throws bringing FIU within 50-49.
 
FIU shot just 35.7 percent in the first half. Beard Jr. scored 10 of the Panthers 25 points in the half.
   
Notable
- Tonight's starters for FIU were: G Trejon Jacob (Chicago, Illinois), G Brian Beard, Jr., G Eric Lockett, F Michael Douglas (Sachse, Texas), and F Jay Harvey (Chicago. Illinois) … Tonight's loss was the first of the year for this starting five (3-1).
 
- FIU's 69-68 loss to Southern Miss drops the Panthers' record in the Conference USA Tournament to 1-3.
 
- FIU's all-time record in conference tournament games drops to 4-2 as a No. 8 seed … In addition, the Panthers are now 17-22 in conference tournament games.
 
- FIU's loss drops the Panthers' record to 2-4 all-time against Southern Miss.
 
- Beard, Jr. netted double-digits in the scoring column for the 28^th time in 31 games played with his career-high 30 points against Charlotte ... It's Beard, Jr.'s eighth 20-point game of his FIU career.
 
- With his 15 points, Lockett has scored double-figures in 29 games during his career with FIU, and in 27 of the last 35 games dating back to last season.

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