The Basics
- The FIU men's basketball team dropped its first Conference USA game of the season as UAB handed the Panthers a 84-65 loss at Bartow Arena on Saturday night. FIU drops to 10-5 on the year and 1-1 in C-USA play, while the Blazers improve to 10-5 and 2-0 in league play.
 
- After leading by just four at the intermission, 38-34, the Blazers outscored FIU 46-31 in the second half, a half that saw UAB use a 16-0 run, over just under a five minute stretch to take its biggest lead of the game to that point, 60-41. The Blazers extended the run to as much as 28-6, to pull out to a game-high 26-point lead, 72-46, with 7:31 left in the contest. FIU shot just 27.3 percent (15-for-55) for the game, while UAB hit at a 55.0 percent clip (33-for-60). The Blazers also held a 48-29 advantage on the boards, and a slight 10-9 edge on the offensive glass. Those 10 offensive rebounds, however, led to 19 second chance points for the Blazers.
 
- Devon Andrews (Lorain, Ohio) led the way for FIU with 20 points on 5-for-10 shooting (50.0 percent) while Antonio Daye, Jr. (Durham, North Carolina) chipped in with 13 points while getting his first career start. Andrews also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
- The Panthers recorded their fewest turnovers of the season, nine, and fewest since recording just six against North Texas on Feb. 22, 2018.
 
Notable
- Tonight's starters for FIU were: G Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina); G Brian  Beard, Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California); F Devon Andrews (Lorain, Ohio); F, Antonio Daye, Jr. (Durham, North Carolina); and C Osasumwen Osaghae (Miami, Florida) … FIU is 0-1 with this lineup on the year.

- FIU's loss to UAB drops the Panthers to 4-5 all-time against the Blazers, and to 1-3 all-time in Bartow Arena.

- FIU's 65 points are the fewest scored this season.

- UAB dominated the paint, 54-12

- Beard, Jr.'s two steals against the Blazers gives him 140 for his career, tying him with Gene Derkack (140, 1995-99) for fifth all-time on FIU's career steals list.

- Devon Andrews' 20 points was his 12^th double figure scoring performance of his career and his fifth-straight … In addition, it was his third career 20-point performance with the Panthers.

- Antonio Daye, Jr. earned his first career start on Saturday against UAB.

- Daye, Jr.'s 13 points marks his sixth double-figure scoring game of his short career at FIU.

- Osasumwen Osaghae earned his first start of the season and the second of his career. 

Up Next
FIU returns home on Thursday, Jan. 10, when it faces Charlotte in the first game of a two-game C-USA weekend homestand, along with Old Dominion on Jan. 12. Both games are slated for a 7 p.m. tip.

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