MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — FIU's men's basketball program dropped its road matchup 79-61 at Middle Tennessee in Conference USA (CUSA) play on Saturday. 

The Panthers (7-14, 2-4 CUSA) held a one-point halftime advantage over the Blue Raiders (8-13, 2-4 CUSA), but could not overcome a 20-5 run from MTSU to close the game. 

Arturo Dean led the way with 16 points, five assists, four turnovers and two steals in a team-high 34 minutes of action. Dashon Gittens was also in double-digits with 11 points, adding five rebounds, two assists and four steals. 

Seth Pinkney went 4-for-6 with nine points and six rebounds as the primary front court option. Jaidon Lipscomb had four assists and six points in 21 minutes. 

FIU forced 16 MTSU turnovers and had nine steals. The Panthers also matched the Blue Raiders' effort on the offensive glass as both teams had 12 offensive rebounds. 

Middle Tennessee made 19 free throws, including 14 in the second half while FIU finished 6-for-8 from the charity stripe. 

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The Panthers return to Miami for a pivotal three-game home stand, beginning with a matchup against Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1 inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.