MIAMI – FIU men's basketball (5-4) is set for a five-game homestand that will extend into the new year, beginning with LIU (6-5) on Saturday at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+. This is the Panthers' final non-conference game against a Division I opponent.
The Inbound
The Panthers have won three of their last four games, but lost a game at RV Miami where they hung tough through halftime 98-81.
Corey Stephenson continued his dominance with 23 points, six assists and three steals in the loss, and
Julian Mackey had another double-digit scoring effort.
LIU is 6-5 on the heels of an impressive performance at Mississippi State, losing by four on the road. Rod Strickland's squad has beaten James Madison, who beat the Panthers, and Missouri State, who the Panthers will see twice this year in conference play.
Series History
FIU and LIU have met four times in program history, with the first meeting ever taking place in the 2001-02 season, a 54-50 win for the Panthers. FIU holds a 3-1 record all-time and 3-0 at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
The previous meeting was on 12/2/23 in Miami, a dominant 74-59 victory for the Panthers. Former Panther Arturo Dean had 27 points, seven steals and six rebounds in the win, going 11-22 from the field.
The lone LIU win came in Brooklyn on 12/18/14 at the Barclays Center. Dennis Mavin had 12 points and seven rebounds, but it was not enough as then-LIU Brooklyn won 69-58.
Notable Storylines
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Brit Harris needs only 16 points to reach 1,000 in his career.
- Stephenson was named to the Lou Henson Award early season watch list, presented to the top mid-major player in Division I basketball. He's now had three 20-point games this season after 23 at Miami.
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Julian Mackey continues to shine off the bench, averaging 13.7 points per game through eight games this season. he's scored in double figures in all but one contest, scoring 17 at Miami and going 6-8 from the line.
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Thiago Sucatzky had his first double-digit scoring game against the Hurricanes, scoring 10 and dishing a pair of assists and steals.
- The Panthers are 11th in the nation in steals per game at 10.8.
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Jeremy Ballard is six wins from breaking the program record set by Rich Walker.
UP NEXT
FIU comes back to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center for a pre-Christmas matchup with Trinity College of Jacksonville, the team's final non-conference game.
TICKETS
For more information on FIU men's basketball tickets, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit the FIU Athletics Online Ticket Office.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
