MIAMI, Fla. – The FIU men's basketball team erased a 15-point deficit on Saturday night to notch its second straight C-USA victory over reigning Conference USA champion UAB inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in an overtime thriller, 90-87. Knotted up at 87-87 on the final possession, freshman
Arturo Dean forced a steal that led to classmate
Dashon Gittens converting an and-one layup in transition with 1.2 seconds left to lift the Panthers to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the Conference USA.
The win marks the first over the Blazers since Jan. 16, 2020 (93-68), while adding the Panthers' second consecutive win over a Top 100 NET opponent (No. 56).
Sophomore
Denver Jones led FIU with a career night upon a game-high 29 points, including a career-best 11-for-11 at the free-throw line, in addition to five rebounds, four assists and three steals in 41 minutes. Graduate forward
Nick Guadarrama poured in a season-best 19 points, matching a career-high five 3-pointers made (5-of-8), with five rebounds and two assists.
Freshman
Arturo Dean filled the stat sheet while making several crucial plays late, including the game-tying three in overtime and steal on final possession, to finish with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals each.
In the overtime period, FIU shot 60.0 percent from the floor (3-of-5) and hit 4-of-5 from the stripe (80.0%), while finishing the game on an 8-0 run to secure their eighth victory at home this season (8-2).
Knotted up at 79-79 at the end of regulation, UAB jumped out to an 87-82 advantage with 2:21 to play in the contest prior to
Mohamed Sanogo finishing a tomahawk dunk down the lane to spark FIU's momentum at 87-84. FIU would turn the Blazers over, as
Arturo Dean would go on to knock down the game-tying 3-pointer on the ensuing trip down to force a UAB timeout with 1:15 remaining, 87-87.
Out of the timeout, both teams traded a pair of blank possessions up until a turnover would hand the Blazers the ball with 20 seconds remaining. Dean then picked off a cross-court pass to see
Dashon Gittens corral the loose ball and convert the and-one fast break layup at the line to secure the win after a desperation heave from UAB at the final horn.
Sophomore forward
Mohamed Sanogo rounds out FIU's double-figure scorers with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Junior
Javaunte Hawkins added six points on 2-of-4 shooting from three, while
Dashon Gittens finished with six points, six rebounds and two assists in addition to the winner.
The Panthers held the nation's leading scorer and reigning C-USA Player of the Year in UAB's Jordan "Jelly" Walker to just five points on 1-of-8 shooting on the night – his first contest in single digits this season – while also holding the Blazers to just 4-of-16, including 0-for-7 in the second half, from beyond the arc (25.0%).
UAB finished the contest 50.0 percent from the floor (35-for-70) and 81.3 percent from the free-throw line, as Eric Gaines led four Blazers in double figures with 19 points.
FIU shot 58.6 percent from the floor in the second half, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc (66.7%) and 8-for-11 from the line (72.7%), finishing the contest 47.7 percent overall, 37.0 percent from three (10-of-27) and 78.3 percent from the charity stripe (18-of-23).
The Blazers led by as much as 15 points in the first half, though, FIU would flip the script midway through the second half to spark the comeback effort and take the lead with under a minute remaining.
The second half saw a wave of runs from both teams, though, FIU crept back into the contest trailing by 14 (49-35) as
Nick Guadarrama connected on three straight 3-pointers to cut the margin to single digits, 53-44. Guadarrama then went on to add another three at 57-50 prior to UAB reclaiming a 14-point edge after a brief 7-0 run, 64-50 (12:06).
Denver Jones answered with a three to force a Blazers timeout, as the Panthers would kick things into gear out of the under-12 media to erupt for a 12-0 run and bring the game within one possession, 64-62.
Out of the break,
Mohamed Sanogo finished a layup at the rim prior to Guadarrama knocking down his season-high fifth trey of the night, 64-58.
Denver Jones then converted an and-one finish at the rack, as Gittens hit a free throw to cap the run with 8:30 on the clock, 64-62.
Javaunte Hawkins answered UAB free throws with a big three (66-65), though, the Blazers answered once again with 6-0 spurt to push a nine-point edge (74-65). An
Arturo Dean and-one and free throws from Jones would keep a two-possession game at 76-70.
Jones then took over briefly, finishing at the rack before nailing a pair at the stripe (76-74), as the guard then corralled a steal to go up for a layup in transition, though, Guadarrama would be there to clean up the miss to tie the margin at 76-76 (2:11). UAB's Gaines hit a free throw to reclaim the edge (77-76) prior to
Arturo Dean giving FIU its first lead since the 16:24 mark of the first half with a finish at the rim, 78-77, with 0:46 on the clock. Dean went on to hit 1-of-2 at the line upon being fouled in transition (79-77) as UAB would manage to deadlock the score with 0:04 to play after a second chance layup off a pair of misses to ultimately send the game to its thrilling overtime finish.
UP NEXT
FIU welcomes FAU inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, for a 7:30 p.m. matchup to be broadcast on ESPN+.
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