MIAMI– All was right in the world at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Monday night as FIU men's basketball (1-0) routed Florida National (1-1) in front of 1,705 fans by a score of 101-49 - the biggest home crowd since Jan. 11, 2023.
"The thing I'm most proud of tonight is the support of Panther Nation," head coach
Jeremy Ballard said. "They really showed up and showed out, and we are so appreciative of that energy. I'm proud of these guys on a daily basis, but this team has integrated itself into Panther Nation so well, whether it be at other games or in the community. We're so grateful for everyone that came out tonight."
While the outcome of the game was never in question, the new-look Panthers roster got to shine in front of a loud home crowd for the first time. Hamed "Larry" Olayinka kicked off the campaign with a steal and dunk, and
Zawdie Jackson had seven points by the first media timeout.
Kennedy Brown's dunk around the 12:30 mark stretched the lead to ten, and was furthered to 28 on
Julian Mackey's three around the four minute mark. The first half ended with the Panthers leading 50-26.
The home team extended its lead to as much as 53 in the second frame, wowing the home crowd with several dunks and great plays. Brown had another dunk late to get the team over 100 points, their first time passing the century mark since their last game against Florida National last season. The Panthers rained in 11 threes in the 101-49 win, their most since Jan. 4, 2025 against Western Kentucky.
Jackson was front and center in the win, scoring 19 points on 8 of 9 shooting on the night. He the first FIU player to shoot 85% or better from the field, min. 9 attempts, since Petar Krivokapic (9-10, .900) against Akron on Nov. 19, 2023.
"Our hard work paid off tonight, and I'm thankful my teammates found me in open spots," he said. "We've been at it together since June 15, but it's always different when the popcorn's popping and the lights are on. I'm glad we got that out of our system."
Olayinka also had a stellar night, scoring a career-best 25 points, grabbing seven rebounds and also adding a career-high six steals. He became just the fifth NCAA player over the last two seasons to record at least 25 points, seven rebounds and six steals in a game and the first Panther to have six steals and seven rebounds in a game since Arturo Dean on Nov. 29, 2023 vs. FGCU.
"That was a lot of fun tonight, and it was great to hear the fans yelling my name," he said. "I told people to come out and they came, and I appreciate them coming out to support us."
Joining those two in double figures were
Corey Stephenson (16 points, team-high eight rebounds) and
Brit Harris (10 points, 3-3 from the field), showcasing the depth of this new-look roster. Freshman
Thiago Sucatzky impressed with six assists on the night, finding some teammates on impressive looks.
This win was #99 of Coach Ballard's career, and his next will make him just the second coach in school history to reach the 100-win plateau.
UP NEXT
The Panthers head to Lincoln for a huge matchup with Nebraska. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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