EL PASO, TEXAS– FIU men's basketball (9-10, 2-6 CUSA) has now lost five straight, and 17 straight on the road after an 83-77 loss at UTEP (7-12, 3-5) on Thursday night.

FIU fell behind big early and had to battle back. An 11-0 run capped by a Julian Mackey three made it briefly 20-19, but the Miners answered back and pushed away, leading by as much as 12 down the stretch.

The Panthers cut it to an eight-point deficit at the break after a Hamed Olayinka lay-in. Olayinka had 14 and seven rebounds in the first frame.

Still trailing by 10 at the 15:20 mark of the second half, FIU used the next several minutes to chip away at the deficit. Ibrahim Olajuwon had a pair of buckets to make it a six-point game, and after a block, followed a missed free throw with a dunk to cut it back to one at 13:26.

Back down by two after a few possessions, the Panthers snatched the lead back for the first time since the first half after a Mackey three-ball, but it was short-lived. Olayinka traded the lead back at 67-66, but that was the final lead of the game. 

FIU got out-scored 15-10 over the final six minutes of the game, losing their fifth in a row and 17th straight road game 83-77.

Olayinka had an outstanding effort, going 8-15 from the field and scoring 19 points, adding a career-best 14 rebounds. In his third double-double of the season, Olayinka became the first Panther with 19 points and 14 rebounds against a Division I opponent since Adrian Diaz had 23 and 15 against FAU on Jan. 13, 2016.

Mackey (14) and Corey Stephenson (12) also had double figures.

UP NEXT

FIU takes the short trip to Las Cruces and plays New Mexico State on Saturday.

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