MIAMI – The FIU men's basketball team embarks on a tough three-game road stretch, beginning on Jan. 17, when the Panthers visit E.A. Diddle Arena, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to face WKU. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET and the game can be seen live on beIN Sports and beINSports.com. FIU looks for its second win in the last three games, and its third win in its last five outings when it takes on the Hilltoppers.

The Panthers, who will also travel to Huntington, West Virginia, to face Marshall on Jan. 19, before closing out the stretch at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 23, look to improve to 12-6 overall and 3-2 in C-USA play.

GAME 18: FIU at WKU
Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 | 8 p.m. ET | E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Kentucky | beIN Sports

Click here for complete FIU game notes
Click here to watch live on beIN Sports
Click here for live stats

FIU PANTHERS | 11-6 (2-2 C-USA)
Last Game: Jan. 12 vs. Old Dominion, L, 75-74
Next Game: Jan. 19 at Marshall, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jeremy Ballard
Alma Mater: Colgate, 2003
Career Record: 11-6 (First season)
at FIU: Same

WKU HILLTOPPERS | 8-8 (1-2 C-USA)
Last Game: Jan. 12 at Marshall, L, 70-69
Next Game: Jan. 19 vs. Florida Atlantic, 2 p.m.
Head Coach: Rick Stansbury
Alma Mater: Campbellsville, 1981
Career Record: 443-202 (17th season)
at WKU: 50-36 (Third season)

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: beIN Sports
Phil Schoen (Play-by-play)
Megan Perry (Analyst)
Radio: WKU Radio Network/FIUSports.com
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: WKU leads series, 34-7
Twitter Updates: @FIUHoops
Tickets: WKU Athletics Ticket Office 270-745-5222

QUICK HITS
- FIU's 11-6 start is tied for the best 17-game start in program history, joining the 1997-98 squad that also started the season 11-6.

- FIU comes into the WKU game following a heartbreaking 75-74 loss to Old Dominion on Jan. 12 ... Brian Beard, Jr. poured in 28 points and dished out a career-high tying 10 assists for his second-career double-double.

- Through Jan. 15, Brian Beard, Jr. leads NCAA in steals-per-game (3.5) and total steals (59) ... Osasumwen Osaghae is eighth in the nation in blocks-per-game (2.9), 18^th in total blocked shots (40), and 23^rd in offensive rebounds-per-game (3.4) ... FIU is also fourth in scoring (88.5).

- Osaghae has also blocked 13 shots in his last two games, including a career-high seven against Old Dominion on Jan. 12.

LAST TIME OUT
- FIU got a game-high 28 points and career-high-tying 10 assists from Brian Beard, Jr., and 16 points from Trejon Jacob, but that was not enough as Old Dominion pulled the game out in the final seconds, 75-74.

- With FIU leading by one, 74-73, with 20 seconds remaining, ODU drove the length of the floor where Ahmad Caver missed a layup ... Dajour Dickens picked up the rebound and drove to the basket where he hit a twisting layup with 1.1 seconds left for the game-winner.

- The Panthers hit 44.6 percent (25-for-56) from the floor as opposed to ODU's 43.3 percent (29-for-67) ... FIU shot 40.0 percent (10-for-25) from behind the three-point arc and the Monarchs hit for 36.0 percent (9-for-25) ... Old Dominion, however, shot 80.0 percent (8-for-10) from the free-throw line, while FIU shot just 53.8 percent (14-for-26).

- Osasumwen Osaghae grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with nine points and six blocked shots.

SCOUTING WKU
- The Hilltoppers come into their game with FIU with an 8-8 record and a 1-2 mark in Conference USA following Saturday's 70-69 loss to Marshall in Huntington ... The loss was WKU's second straight, and its fourth in the last seven games.

- Taveion Hollingsworth leads three players in double figures, averaging 15.8 points-per-game, while Charles Bassey and Jared Savage are netting 14.7 and 13.4 points-per-outing, respectively ... Bassey is also grabbing a team-best 8.9 rebounds-per-game.

THE SERIES AGAINST THE HILLTOPPERS
- WKU holds a commanding 34-7 lead in the all-time series ... FIU had one win vacated (Feb. 26, 2005, 79-77) due to NCAA sanctions.

- The Panthers have lost six of their last eight games, against the Hilltoppers, and 14 of their last 17 ... FIU last handed WKU a loss on Jan. 7, 2016, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 75-72 ... Prior to the 2015-16 season, FIU's last win was an 87-82 victory on Feb. 16, 2013 at FIU Arena.

SCOUTING MARSHALL
- Marshall comes into this week with a 10-6 record and a 3-0 mark in Conference USA, following its 70-69 win over WKU on Jan. 12 in Huntington.

- Jon Elmore is one of two players averaging double-figures in the scoring column, netting 19.1 points-per-game ... C.J. Burks is second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.4 points-per-contest ... Jannson Williams is grabbing a team-high 4.8 rebounds-per-game.

THE SERIES AGAINST THE THUNDERING HERD
- Marshall leads the all-time series against FIU, 6-1, 5-1 with both schools as members of Conference USA.

- Their has been one overtime game between FIU and Marshall with that coming on Jan. 15, 2015 with the Panthers coming out on top, 66-62.

BEARD, JR. CLIMBING THE CHARTS; MOVES INTO SECOND ALL-TIME IN CAREER ASSISTS
- In just 48 career games on the floor for FIU, Brian Beard, Jr. has made his mark in the Panthers' record books ... Beard, Jr. is currently second all-time in school history in career assists (290), surpassing Dwight Stewart (264, 1989-93) against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 3 ... He sits second only to Carlos Arroyo (1997-2001) who finished his career with 459 assists ... Arroyo's total came over four years (100 games).

- In addition, Beard, Jr. is fourth all-time on FIU's career steals list (149) surpassing Patrick McDonald (147, 1982-86) against Old Dominion on Jan. 12 … Next up is Dwight Stewart in third place (172, 1988-91).

DROPPIN' SOME' C-NOTES
- FIU's 117 points against Johnson & Wales marked the second-straight game that the Panthers reached the century mark … The Panthers scored 110 points in the season-opening 110-84 win over Webber International on Nov. 7 … Prior to this season, the last time that an FIU team hit the 100-point mark in regulation was on Feb. 26, 1998, pouring in 101 points against Centenary in a 101-74 win in the TAAC Tournament ... That was the second of two-straight games where the Panthers scored 100-or-more points ... FIU also did it five days before in a 117-79 win over Troy on Feb. 21, 1998.

- FIU logged its third 100-plus-point game when it scored 102 points in a 102-93 win over Youngstown State on Nov. 18, and accomplished the feat in its next outing, against Ave Maria on Nov. 23, in a 104-84 win in the Johnny Bach Classic at Fordham.

- The Panthers hit the 100-point plateau on Dec. 13, with a 102-89 win against North Florida, and most recently poured in 108 points in a 108-67 win over Florida Memorial on Dec. 20.

- The Panthers' six 100-point games are tied for the second most in a season in school history, joining the 1982-83 team ... The most 100-point outings in a season for FIU came during the 1997-98 campaign with seven.

UP NEXT FOR FIU
Following it's meeting with the Hilltoppers, the Panthers will head to Huntington, West Virginia, to face Marshall on Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. ... FIU closes out its three-game road stretch at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. ... The Panthers return home for a three-game homestand, beginning on Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. against FAU.

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