HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — FIU's men's basketball program closed its 2023-24 season with a 78-59 defeat to Sam Houston in the quarterfinal round of the Conference USA (CUSA) Championships on Wednesday evening.

The Panthers (11-22, 5-11 CUSA) defeated Jax State 76-67 in the opening round of the CUSA Championships on Tuesday evening before falling to the top-seeded Bearkats on Wednesday night. 

Javaunte Hawkins led the scoring effort with 20 points on four made threes and three steals in his final game as a Panther. Hawkins knocked down 88 three-pointers on the season, fourth-most all-time in a season, and ends his career as the all-time career leader in three-pointers made with 206 for FIU. 

Arturo Dean chipped in 16 points and had eight rebounds. Dean had two steals and finishes the season with 104 steals, setting a new FIU single-season record. He is currently also the national leader in both total steals and steals per game. 

FIU led 8-2 early as Hawkins scored the Panthers first eight points of the game, but a 16-0 run in response from Sam Houston staked the Bearkats to an eventual 16-point halftime lead. The Panthers closed the gap to 11 with a Dean layup and Hawkins three early in the final period. Sam Houston then regained its footing and stretched the lead to as much as 28 in the second half. 

Jayden Brewer added 12 points off the bench. Seth Pinkney had four blocks, two points and three rebounds to close his FIU career. Pinkney's 128 career blocks rank third all-time. 

As a team, FIU shot 34.0 percent from the field, 7-for-19 from three and just 66.7 percent from the free throw line. Sam Houston had five scorers in double digits and went 11-for-14 from the free throw line.