MIAMI– Using 52 points in the paint and forcing 20 turnovers, FIU men's basketball (6-4) knocked off unanimous NEC favorite LIU (6-6) 86-79 on Saturday night, coming back from a halftime deficit for the first time this season.
"I'm really proud of how we responded today. We knew it was going to be a tough battle," head coach
Jeremy Ballard said. "LIU had four road wins coming into this game. One of those wins was against a team in our conference. Another was against a team that had already beaten us. They also beat an A-10 team and really should have beaten an SEC team in Mississippi State in their last game out. We knew this was going to be a battle, and LIU came in ready to play and ready to win. I was not pleased with how locked in we were in the first half. I thought we didn't have enough energy. I'm proud of how we responded in the second half."
The Sharks scored first and controlled the pace early, getting a 10-6 lead through the first four minutes.
Eric Dibami and
Hamed Olayinka traded big dunks to knot it at 10.
Julian Mackey's first three-ball of the game at 13:36 gave the Panthers their first lead at 14-12.
A brief scoring drought for the Panthers allowed the Sharks to run to a five-point advantage, and four
Zawdie Jackson free throws cut into the deficit.
Corey Stephenson finally tied things back up at 30 with a clutch and-one conversion at 6:14.
Another run for the visitors made it a long eight-point deficit, which became the second-largest that FIU has overcome this season. A steal and score from
Ashton Williamson cut it to four, and Mackey and Dibami traded layups to tie it back up. LIU got a few late buckets to head into half up 46-44.
FIU firmly controlled most of the second half, and a 9-0 run aided by Stephenson and Williamson set the tone for the rest of it. While LIU did battle back to get the lead, FIU used the three-ball to take it right back. Stephenson's made it 61-59, and after two more field goals,
Brit Harris' first field goal of the game at 10:21 was a crucial three from the corner to make it 68-61.
LIU only got as close as three points for the remainder of the game. The Panthers' advantage ballooned to as much as 13 at 2:39, and despite a mad dash by the Sharks over the final two minutes,
Thiago Sucatzky was true on his two FT attempts with six seconds left to ice the game 86-79.
Mackey had a scintillating performance, going 8-12 from the field, 4-5 from the line and 2-4 from three, scoring 22. His second 20-point game of the season came entirely off the bench.
"I feel like this is a place where you get to be yourself," Mackey said. "I think that helps everyone on the court. It helps everybody feel freer and feel the game more. The way we play is more open and faster, and that's what I like most, the speed. I came from a team that played at a much slower pace. This is up and down, up and down, and I love that."
Stephenson continued his outstanding season with 17 and five rebounds, and Dibami had another strong performance with 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, with
Ibrahim Olajuwon joining him with a trio of blocks as well. Williamson also added 10 to round out the double-digit scorers.
"Today, my mindset was just to go out and play hard and help my team get a win after the loss we had Tuesday against Miami," Dibami said. "I was just trying to do my best to help my team."
The Panthers improve to 6-4 overall and 6-1 at home heading into their final non-conference game on Monday.
UP NEXT
The Panthers close out their non-conference slate against Trinity College of Jacksonville on Monday at noon.
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