MIAMI – FIU begins its first Conference USA home weekend of the season on Thursday, Jan. 10, when it welcomes Charlotte to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. and can be seen live on CUSA TV with A.J. Ricketts calling the action.

FIU comes into the game looking for its eighth win in its last 12 games, while also looking to improve to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in C-USA play. The Panthers boast a 10-5 record, which equals their best 15-game start in program history.

GAME 16: FIU VS. CHARLOTTE
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2019 | 7 p.m. | Ocean Bank Convocation Center | Miami, Florida | CUSA TV

Click here for complete FIU game notes
Click here to watch live on CUSA TV
Click here for live stats

FIU PANTHERS | 10-5 (1-1 C-USA)
Last Game: Jan. 5 at UAB, L, 84-65
Next Game: Jan. 12 vs. Old Dominion, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jeremy Ballard
Alma Mater: Colgate, 2003
Career Record: 10-5 (First season)
at FIU: Same

CHARLOTTE 49ERS | 3-10 (0-2 C-USA)
Last Game: Jan. 5 vs. Marshall, W, 85-84
Next Game: Jan. 12 at Florida Atlantic, 4 p.m.
Head Coach: Ron Sanchez
Alma Mater: SUNY Oneonta, 1997
Career Record: 3-10 (First season)
at Charlotte: Same

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: CUSA TV
A.J. Ricketts (Play-by-play)
Radio: None
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Series: Series tied, 3-3
Twitter Updates: @FIUHoops
Tickets: FIU Athletics Ticket Office 305-FIU-GAME

QUICK HITS
- FIU's 10-5 start is tied for the best 15-game start in program history, joining the 1984-85 squad that also started the season 10-5.

- FIU comes into the UNC Charlotte game following a tough 84-65 loss at UAB on Jan. 5 ... Devon Andrews led the Panthers with a team-high 20 points and seven boards, while Antonio Daye, Jr. added 13 points in his first career start.

- Through Jan 8, Brian Beard, Jr. leads NCAA in steals-per-game (3.3) and total steals (50) ... Osasumwen Osaghae is 19th in the nation in offensive rebounds-per-game (3.4) ... FIU is fourth in the nation in scoring (90.7).

LAST TIME OUT
- FIU dropped its first Conference USA game of the season as UAB handed the Panthers an 84-65 loss at Bartow Arena on Jan. 5.

- After leading by just four at the half, 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 28-4, 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 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.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
- Charlotte comes into its game with FIU with a 3-10 record and an 0-2 mark in Conference USA play, following its tough 85-84 loss to Marshall on Jan. 5 ... The 49ers have dropped their last five-straight games and eight of their last nine.

- Jon Davis is Charlotte's lone player in double-figures in the scoring column, netting 21.4 points-per-game, tops in C-USA ... Malik Martin is second in scoring, and falls just outside of double figures, averaging 9.5 points-per-contest ... Milos Supica averages a team-best 4.8 rebounds-per-game.

THE SERIES AGAINST THE 49ERS
FIU and Charlotte have met six times, with all six meetings coming as members of Conference USA ... The all-time series is tied at 3-3 after the Panthers won both games during 2017-18 and hold the longest winning streak during the short six-game series.

BEARD, JR. CLIMBING THE CHARTS; MOVES INTO SECOND ALL-TIME IN CAREER ASSISTS
- In just 46 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 (273), 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, however Arroyo's total came over four years.

- In addition, Beard, Jr. is tied for fifth all-time at FIU in career steals (140) with Gene Derkack (140, 1995-99).

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.

FILLING THE BUCKET AT HOME
- FIU is currently averaging 100.0 points-per-game at home this season ... Prior to their home game against USF on Dec. 18 - an 82-73 loss - the Panthers averaged an impressive 103.6 points-per-game at home ... The Panthers have hit the century mark in five of their seven games at home this season ... On the flip-side, FIU is allowing just 76.6 points-per-game on its home floor.

UP NEXT FOR FIU
The Panthers close out their first Conference USA home weekend of the season on Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. when FIU welcomes Old Dominion to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center ... Following the Monarchs, the Panthers will embark on a three-game road stretch at WKU (Jan. 17), at Marshall (Jan. 19) and at Florida Atlantic (Jan. 23) ... FIU returns home for a three-game homestand, beginning on Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. against FAU.

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