WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FIU men's basketball team aims to bounce back in the win column on Tuesday night (Dec. 13), preparing for a nonconference clash at Howard in Washington, D.C., for an 8 p.m. tip.
 
Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Howard (4-8)

• Time / Site: 8 p.m. at Burr Gymnasium
• TV: HBCU Go
• Radio: Mixlr.com/FIUAthletics (AJ Ricketts)
• Live Stats
• Series History: HU leads 1-0

FIUAthletics is on Mixlr
 FIU (4-4) enters Tuesday night determined to overcome a two-game skid, as the Bison enter upon a three-game losing streak to make for a matchup between a pair of teams hungry for a win.
 
The Panthers' defensive motor has been a strength through eight games, averaging 9.9 steals (24^th NCAA / 1^st C-USA) for an average of 17.3 points off turnovers per contest.
 
Despite being an efficient squad scoring inside the paint at 49.5 percent on the season (25^th NCAA / 1^st C-USA), FIU's shooting woes from 3-point land have bogged the Panthers down having hit just 5-of-37 from beyond the arc over the past two contests (13.5%).
 
FIU's hit 10 or more threes on three separate occasions this season and is undefeated on the season when doing so, as three Panthers shoot over 30 percent from beyond the arc in sophomore Denver Jones (41.2%), freshman Dashon Gittens (38.1%) and junior Javaunte Hawkins (35.6%).
 
Jones continues to pace the Panthers at 17.7 points on 57.3 shooting for the season, though, Mohamed Sanogo has continued to emerge in his sophomore season in eclipsing his career-highs for the fourth game with a 23-point, eight-rebound performance at FGCU on Dec. 4. Sanogo's smooth touch and efficiency inside the paint has shown, contributing 8.1 points on 75.0 percent shooting and 3.4 rebounds in 18.3 minutes off the bench.
 
Freshman guard Arturo Dean (13.0 ppg) has reached double figures in all but two games on the season, while pacing the Panthers' tenacious defensive intensity on the ball with 2.4 steals per game (27^th NCAA / 1^st C-USA).
 
Classmate Dashon Gittens has also settled in, reaching double figures in four of the last five games, contributing 9.0 points and 2.4 rebounds on the season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
FIU fell to Howard in its first all-time meeting on Nov. 21, 2003, in Miami, 67-55.
 
SCOUTING HOWARD
The Bison are led by junior forward Steve Settle III (13.2 ppg) and sophomore guard Elijah Hawkins (12.9 ppg), as Settle III also paces Howard's rebounding efforts with 6.2 rebounds per contest. Howard comes off a trio of losses at VCU (70-60), Hampton (74-65) and Yale (86-40), while holding wins over Austin Peay, Buffalo, Gallaudet and District of Columbia. Howard averages 69.2 points per game, while allowing 76.9 points heading into a tilt with a Panther squad that averages 79.6 points.
 
UP NEXT
FIU gears up for its Conference USA opener at FAU on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tip-off is slated for a 2 p.m. start to be broadcast on CUSA.tv inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
 
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.