FRISCO, Texas (March, 12, 2019) – The No. 7-seeded FIU men's basketball team begins play in the 2019 Air Force Reserve C-USA Basketball Championships presented by Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star, on Wednesday, March 13, against the No. 10 Seed, North Texas. Game time is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET. The winner of the game between the Panthers and the Mean Green will face the No. 2 seed, WKU on Thursday, March 14 at 9:30 p.m.   

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FIU comes into the C-USA Tournament having won five of its last six games, and six of its last nine. The Panthers closed out the regular season on March 9, with a 73-58 win over their first-round foe, North Texas. Wednesday's game against the Mean Green will be the third meeting in less than a month.

FIU, who's seven-seed is its highest since joining C-USA, looks to improve to 20-12 overall. A 20^th win would mark just the third time in the program's history that the Panthers have won 20-or-more games in a season. In addition, it would equal the second most wins in program history, one shy of equaling the program record.

GAME 32: FIU vs. NORTH TEXAS
2019 Conference USA Tournament First Round
Wednesday, March 13, 2019 | 9:30 p.m. ET | Ford Center at the Star | Frisco, Texas | ESPN+

Click here for Conference USA Tournament Central
Click here for Conference USA Tournament Bracket
Click here for complete FIU game notes
Click here to watch live on ESPN+
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NO. 7 SEED FIU PANTHERS | 19-12
Last Game: March 9 vs. Marshall, W, 73-58
Next Game: March 14 vs. WKU, 9:30 p.m. (If Necessary)
Head Coach: Jeremy Ballard
Alma Mater: Colgate, 2003
Career Record: 19-12 (First season)
at FIU: Same

NO. 10 SEED NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN | 20-11
Last Game: March 9 at FIU, L, 73-58
Next Game: March 14 vs. WKU, 9:30 p.m. (If Necessary)
Head Coach: Grant McCasland
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1999
Career Record: 60-41 (Third season)
at North Texas: 40-29 (Second season)

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Stream: Wednesday (ESPN+), Thursday (Stadium, Court A/Facebook, Court B), Friday/Saturday (CBS Sports Network)
Live Stats: FIUSports.com
Twitter Updates: @FIUHoops, @ConferenceUSA

QUICK HITS
- No. 7 seed FIU begins play in the 2019 C-USA Basketball Championships on March 13, against No. 10 seed North Texas ... Game time is 9:30 p.m. ET ... The winner will face the No. 2 seed, WKU on March 14, at 9:30 p.m.

- FIU is 1-3 all-time in the C-USA Tournament and 17-22 all-time in postseason conference tournaments.

- FIU comes into the C-USA Tournament having won five of its last six games, and six of its last nine.

- FIU is coming off a 73-58 win over North Texas on March 9, in the regular season finale ... Brian Beard, Jr. poured in 24 points in the win while Devon Andrews and Trejon Jacob netted 14 and 12 points, respectively.   

- Through the end of the regular season (through March 9), Brian Beard, Jr. is third in the NCAA in steals-per-game (3.1) and fourth in total steals (90) ... Osasumwen Osaghae is fifth in blocked shots-per-game (3.0) ... FIU is also first in turnovers forced (19.7).

THE SERIES AGAINST NORTH TEXAS
- FIU and North Texas have met 24 times, prior to this Wednesday's first round Conference USA Tournament game, with the Mean Green holding a 16-8 lead in the series. The series is tied at 4-4 as members of C-USA ... North Texas holds a 12-4 record on FIU as Sun Belt members ... The Panthers and Mean Green met on Feb. 16, with FIU coming out on top, 69-59.

- The Panthers and Mean Green have played five overtime games in the series, with three of the five coming in the first four regular season meetings ... North Texas is 3-2 in overtime games against FIU.

THE RECORDS
- FIU ended the regular season 19-12 overall (10-8 C-USA) after its 73-58 win over North Texas on March 9, in Miami. The Mean Green finished the regular season with a 20-11 record and an 8-10 ledger in the league after its loss to the Panthers in the regular season finale. The No. 2 seed, WKU, comes into the tournament with an 18-13 slate and an 11-7 record in C-USA play following its 81-76 overtime loss to UTSA on March 6 in the regular season finale.

THE SEEDS
- FIU's No. 7 seed in this year's C-USA Basketball Championships, is its highest seed since joining Conference USA. It surpassed the previous high – eight seed – in last year's tournament. During the 2016 tournament, the Panthers were a No. 11 seed, one year after earning a No. 10 seed, during the 2015 tournament. FIU is seeded seventh for the first time in its conference tournament history. 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 fourth appearance for FIU in the Conference USA Championship. Last year, as a No. 8 seed, then the highest seed as a member of C-USA, the Panthers lost to the nine seed, Southern Miss, 69-68, in the first round. During the 2016 tournament, as a No. 10 seed, the Panthers dropped an 85-77 decision to the No. 6 seed, UTEP. In their 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 17-22 all-time in conference tournament games ranging from the Trans America
Athletic Conference (now Atlantic Sun), Sun Belt, and Conference USA tournaments, and 1-3 all-time in the C-USA Tourney.

A LOOK AHEAD
- The winner of the FIU vs. North Texas game will face the No. 2 seed, WKU, on Thursday, March 14, at 9:30 p.m. (ET), with the winner of that contest advancing to the Conference USA semifinals on Friday, March 15, at 4 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA 
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