MIAMI– In a game that featured 23 lead changes and 12 ties, FIU men's basketball (2-3) fell to James Madison (4-3) 80-72, struggling to score late in the second half.

"This was a high-level, highly competitive game. I thought both teams played with incredible intensity and urgency," head coach Jeremy Ballard said. "Both sides really got after it. It was truly a high-level matchup. I also want to say how grateful I am to our administration for allowing us to host this MTE. It gave us the opportunity to bring in a team that is the preseason pick to win the Sun Belt and to have them compete on our home court. That is an awesome opportunity for us."

It was the Corey Stephenson show early on for the Panthers, as the forward scored the first five points and stretched his total to ten with a little over eight minutes remaining, pushing the Panther lead to seven. While the Dukes battled back and the teams traded free throws, FIU went back up on a Zawdie Jackson three, making it 37-33 for the home team.

With 48 seconds remaining, Ibrahim Olajuwon danced in the lane and found the net on a floater, getting fouled and converting the and-one opportunity. His sequence made it a 45-41 game, which the score would stay at headed into the locker room.

Stephenson was once again all over the next portion of the second half, recording a pair of threes and a jumper. James Madison kept going in front and hanging around, but it was still a four-point lead under 11 minutes left.

The Dukes followed by stretching their lead to five, and the Panthers battled back. Stephenson hit a jumper and was fouled, and after a defensive rebound, Ashton Williamson nailed a three to tie it again. Hamed Olayinka's free throw at 7:17 was the final lead of the day, 66-65, for the Panthers, as the Dukes rallied on a pair of clutch threes by Justin McBride and pulled away.

Julian Mackey's three brought it to within three with a minute left, and even getting a stop on the other end wasn't enough for the home team, who saw Mackey get blocked and the Dukes pull away 80-72.

Stephenson continued to shine with 25 points and seven assists, while Mackey (11) and Williamson (10) were the only others to reach double figures.

The rebounding discrepancy was the biggest factor in the Panthers loss, as JMU came into the game averaging 34 a game and exited with 56 rebounds, 25 of them offensive. This translated to 29 second chance points, and the fourth-straight JMU win in the series history.

UP NEXT
The Panthers have a day off before taking on Omaha on Wednesday to wrap up the MTE.

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