Game Details
2019 Collegeinsider.com Tournament – First Round
FIU 87, Texas State 81
FIU (20-13), Texas State (24-10)
Saturday, March 23, 2019 | 7 p.m. ET  
San Marcos, Texas | Strahan Center
 
The Basics
- The FIU men's basketball team got 29 points apiece from Brian Beard, Jr.(Rancho Cucamonga, California) and Devon Andrews (Lorain, Ohio) – Andrews' total marking a career-high – as the Panthers recorded a historic program win on Saturday night with a thrilling 87-81 come-from-behind victory over Texas State in the first round of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament. The win marks the first postseason win for FIU in addition to recording its 20th win, tied for the second most in program history. The last time that the Panthers saw postseason play was on March 17, 1995, when the then Trans America Athletic Conference Tournament Champion – Golden Panthers – faced UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. FIU last reached the 20-win threshold when it posted a program record 21 victories during the 1997-98 season. This season's team has tied the 1992-93 team which also recorded 20 wins.
 
- The Panthers will now head to Green Bay, Wisconsin to face Green Bay on Tuesday, March 26, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be carried live on WatchCIT.com. The Phoenix advanced to the second round with a 102-94 win over East Tennessee on March 20, in Johnson City, Tennessee.
 
- Texas State scored the first four points of the game, however, FIU regrouped to hit five of its last six field goals to take a 12-8 lead on the Bobcats at the first media TO of the game. The Panthers eventually pushed their lead to as many as nine points, 18-9, on a Beard, Jr. layup off an Elhadji Dieng (Mbour, Senegal) pass to cap off a 6-0 run with 14:14 left in the first half. Texas State would come back to take a one-point lead, but FIU would take a four-point advantage into the locker room at the break, 44-40.

- The Bobcats came back in the second half and seemingly took control of the game with just over 12 minutes left in the contest beginning with a three-point shot by Tre Nottingham to make the score, 56-53. Texas State turned the tides on the Panthers and pushed its lead to nine points, 65-56, with 10:42 left. Texas State kept FIU at arm's length, however the Panthers chipped away at the Bobcats' lead, eventually regaining the advantage, 81-80, on a Osasumwen Osaghae (Miami, Florida) layup with 2:07 remaining. After the Osaghae go-ahead layup, FIU would score six of the final seven points en route to the win. 
 
- Although Osaghae scored just six points on the night, he was a huge factor grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, blocking five shots, and altering several other shots. His 12 rebounds marked his fifth-straight double-digit rebounding effort. Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina) added seven points, while Isaiah Banks (Conyers, Georgia) and Elhadji Dieng (Mbour, Senegal) joined Osaghae with six points each.
 
Notable
- Tonight's starters for FIU were: G, Brian Beard, Jr. (Rancho Cucamonga, California); G, Trejon Jacob (Raleigh, North Carolina); F, Devon Andrews (Lorain, Ohio); F, Isaiah Banks (Conyers, Georgia) and C, Osasumwen Osaghae (Miami, Florida) … FIU is 1-0 with this lineup on the year.

- FIU's 15 turnovers forced, against Texas State, gives them 646 turnovers forced on the season building on its single-season record … It is just the fourth time in program history that the Panthers have recorded better than 550 turnovers forced in a season, joining the 1997-98 (580), 2012-13 (569) and 1996-97 (555) teams.

- Beard, Jr.'s 29 points mark his 56th career double figure scoring game in an FIU uniform … In addition, it's Beard, Jr.'s 22nd career game netting 20 points-or-more … His total is tied for the third most in his FIU career.

- Beard, Jr.'s five steals against the Mean Green gives him 189 for his career … He is currently just 15 steals shy of equaling the all-time steals record in program history (204, Carlos Morban, 2001-03), and 16 from setting a new mark … In addition, with his five steals, Beard, Jr. continues to build on his own single-season steals record … He currently has 99 steals on the year, surpassing his previous single-season mark of 90 set last year.

- In addition, Beard, Jr.'s three assists gives him 376 for his FIU career – in just 64 career games … He sits second on the Panthers' all-time assist list behind Carlos Arroyo (459, 1997-01).

- Devon Andrews career-high 29 points marks his 26th double-figure scoring game of his collegiate career, in addition to being his ninth career 20-point effort.

- Osaghae's 12 rebounds led to his 12th double-figure rebounding game of his career and his fifth-straight.

- Through tonight's game with Texas State, and his five blocks, Osasumwen Osaghae has 128 career blocked shots, good enough for third all-time in school history … In addition, his 94 blocks on the season is also third on the school single season list.

- On Saturday, Michael Douglas (Sachse, Texas) tied Dwight Stewart (1988-93) for second place on FIU's career games played list having played in his 118th career game with the Panthers.  

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @FIUHoops on Twitter, and "Like" FIU men's basketball on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/FIUMensBBall) for the latest Panther basketball news.
Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).