MIAMI – The FIU men's basketball team used an explosive second half that saw it outscore North Dakota by 15 en route to its fifth straight victory by a 65-56 margin on Wednesday afternoon at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
 
The win improves the Panthers overall mark to 5-1 on the season.  North Dakota slips to 2-4 following the loss.
 
FIU started its second-half push with a 12-0 run that flipped a deficit of 51-45 to a 57-51 FIU lead, that the Panthers would not relinquish.
 
The run was sparked by Tevin Brewer, who scored nine of his 12 points in the spurt and 10 in the second half. 
 
Defensively, the Panthers were stout down the stretch – holding North Dakota scoreless for the final 3:16 of regulation.
 
FIU opened the second half strong as well by scoring the first six points to deadlock the score at 30-30, after trailing by a 30-24 margin at halftime.
 
The two teams struggled to find their shooting touch in the opening 20 minutes, as neither squad was able to make more than 33 percent of their attempts.  FIU came to life in the second half, making 11-of-26 attempts for a 57.7 percent clip.
 
Brewer led the Panthers with 12 points to go along with eight assists.  Overall, FIU recorded 17 helpers on a total of 22 made field goals in the victory.
 
Eight other players tabbed points for the Panthers in the win.  Javaunte Hawkins and Isaiah Banks each registered nine, while Petar Krivokapic and Seth Pinkney added eight. 
 
Clevon Brown paced FIU on the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points.
 
North Dakota was led in defeat by Paul Burns, who registered 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers continue the current four-game homestand on Sunday, Nov. 28 vs. North Florida.
 
Tip off is slated for 12 p.m. ET from the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. 
 
The game will air on PantherVision on Conference USA TV.
 
TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU basketball home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit HERE.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUHoops), Twitter (@FIUHoops), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMensBball) for all the latest Men's Basketball news.
 
General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.