ST GEORGE, Utah — FIU's men's basketball program heads west for its final matchup of 2023, taking on Utah Tech on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. MT.
The matchup between the Panthers (5-9) and the Trailblazers (5-7) will be FIU's second against Western Athletic Conference (WAC) foes this season. In a new initiative that encourages non-conference scheduling between CUSA and WAC opponents, FIU also played Tarleton State in its home opener on Nov. 9.
FIU returns from a nine-day break from competition following a convincing 82-74 victory over Maine on Dec. 21. This matchup will also be the Panthers' final non-conference contest of the season before opening up CUSA play on Saturday, Jan. 6 at Jacksonville State.
Jaidon Lipscomb knocked down several big shots in the win over Maine and continues to impress as the season progresses. Lipscomb has scored in double-digits in each of his last four games and has made 16 threes during that stretch.
Arturo Dean continues to be the engine for FIU, leading the Panthers in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. His 3.9 steals per game and 55 total steals are the most in the nation, having held his spot as national leader for much of the 2023-24 campaign.
Javaunte Hawkins continues to improve in his senior season, shooting 41.5 percent from deep with 34 three-pointers made, an average of 2.4 per game.
SCOUTING UTAH TECH
The Trailblazers enter this matchup having lost four-straight, most recently defeated by the University of Colorado in Boulder 98-71 on Dec. 21.
Utah Tech faced off with fellow CUSA-member Jacksonville State on Nov. 11 and won 81-79 in overtime. Additionally, the Trailblazers have already started their conference slate, boasting wins over Utah Valley and Cal Baptist on Dec. 2 and 6, respectively.
Utah Tech has a balanced attack led by Tanner Christensen, Noa Gonsalves and Beon Rile, who each average over 10 ppg. As a team, the Trailblazers have a similar style to FIU, forcing 14.1 turnovers per game, but also have 14.6 turnovers per game.
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.
