MIAMI– Jeremy Ballard recorded his 100th career win as FIU head coach in a 104-80 FIU men's basketball (2-2) victory over Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday evening.

"It feels incredible. I just told our team how much of a blessing it is to do this for a living. I get to work with a staff I love and coach kids I love every day," he said. "Sometimes they might lose sight of that, but I don't. I wake up encouraged, excited, and motivated to come in and work with these guys. It's an amazing feeling. I'm extremely fortunate, and I can't express enough gratitude to the administration for allowing me to be here all these years and to achieve these wins."

While the Panthers struggled early with turnovers, even being tied as late as 4:29 remaining in the first half, the team rallied and pulled away on the strength of a few Corey Stephenson dunks. Brit Harris' lay-in stretched it to a 12-point lead with 1:29 remaining in the first half, which the Panthers ended up leading 54-40 headed in.

Harris and Ashton Williamson, who had slow starts to the season ahead of the game, were big parts of why the Panthers pulled away over a seven-minute stretch where the Eagles didn't make a field goal. Williamson had six points in the span of two minutes early, and the rout was on. 

The largest lead of the night was 31, which came with just over five minutes remaining on a Julian Mackey free throw. Mackey, who had 15 points, went a perfect 12-12 from the line, becoming the first Panther since Donte McGill on 12/11/16 at FGCU to do so, tying the program record for perfection from the line. He also added nine assists in the win.

Six different Panthers pushed their scoring totals to double figures (first time that has occurred since 2023), including Williamson (career-high 19), who paced the floor by going 7-9 from the field, 4-5 from three and dishing six assists in the game.

"I always say to bring the energy, whether you're playing well or playing badly," Williamson said. "Always bring energy, lift your teammates up, and be a great teammate."

Also joining the scoring barrage was Harris, who chipped in a season-best 16 points after being held scoreless in the last two games.

"Obviously, I got off to a slow start, but my teammates and coaches trust us to make shots," Harris said. "We're in the gym 24/7, sometimes two hours before we even need to be there. That's really all it is, just putting in the work."

Stephenson had another double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Ibrahim Olajuwon (career-high 14 and seven rebounds) had a strong game in his first career start. Hamed Olayinka continued his good start to the season with 13 points and eight boards.

UP NEXT
The Panthers commence their Thanksgiving MTE with a bout against James Madison, their first matchup since 2017.

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