MIAMI — FIU's men's basketball program came back from a 16-point deficit in the final eight minutes to defeat UTEP at home 72-68 on Saturday evening. 

Down 62-46 with 8:46 to go, Javaunte Hawkins made a three-pointer, sparking a 26-6 close to the game for FIU. Still down by nine with 5:09 to go, the Panthers mounted the most significant run of their incredible comeback, scoring 15 of the game's final 17 points. 

Dashon Gittens knocked down two clutch free throws to tie the score at 68-all, of which FIU followed with a forced turnover and timeout, setting the stage for the winning play. The Panthers came out of the huddle with a set play that ended with a clean layup for Gittens on a hand-off from Mohamed Sanogo to put FIU up two with 27 seconds to go. 

UTEP had a chance at a final possession, but Arturo Dean came away with a steal with four seconds to go and sent the ball down-court to a wide open Jaidon Lipscomb. Lipscomb found Sanogo for a dunk as time expired to put the bow on the FIU victory, its first over UTEP since Jan. 2020, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Miners.

Hawkins was very instrumental in the comeback, leading the way with 20 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep, adding two steals. Gittens also provided instant offense throughout the game, finishing with 19 points and adding four steals and four rebounds. 

Sanogo also finished with double-digits, posting 12 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. Dean added to his status as the national leader with five total steals, also grabbing five rebounds. 

As a team, the Panthers out-rebounded UTEP 25-24 and held a 7-3 advantage on the offensive glass. FIU forced 25 UTEP turnovers and had a total of 15 steals. 

UP NEXT

The Panthers will take on Liberty on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. ET in Lynchburg, Va.