FIU Men's Basketball Eliminated From Huntsville by Mo State

FIU Men’s Basketball has been eliminated from Huntsville in a 75-72 loss to the Missouri State Bears. The Bears will move on to face the top-ranked Liberty Flames, while the Panthers will head back to Miami.

Zawdie Tames The Bears

FIU took an early lead in this game vs the Bears, going up by five, but the Bears suddenly turned the tables. MSU would go on a 7-0 run to take the lead, forcing a Jeremy Ballard timeout. In the closing minutes, FIU quickly reestablished control, with Ibrahim Olajuwon creating opportunities with a steal and a fast-break slam.

Look at @zawdie1 getting to the rim 😤💪#FIU #FIUHoops #Pawsup #Sportswithseb
pic.twitter.com/pxz9uVN22Q

— SportswithSeb🏀🏈 (@Sportswithseb) March 10, 2026

Zooming all the way back over the other end, Olajuwon would block a Bears bucket, leading to a Zawdie layup. Zawdie Jackson helped the Panthers out of their scoring drought and ended the half with 12 points.

FIU entered the first half ahead 36-31 vs Missouri State with plenty of ball game left to be played. MSU has shot better tonight and is holding the Panthers to one 3-pointer. If MSU continued to knock down shots and cut down on their turnovers, this game could shift very quickly.

Bears Maul To Round 2

COREY STEPHENSON TIES THE GAME VS MSU 🏀#FIU #FIUHoops #Pawsup #Sportswithseb

pic.twitter.com/Kg3tgQuny2

— SportswithSeb🏀🏈 (@Sportswithseb) March 11, 2026

Credit to Missouri State, who were down for the majority of this game, for clawing their way back, protecting the ball, and knocking it down from three. The game pivoted in their favor, going on a 12-2 run to take a four-point lead with four minutes left. With MSU trying to close in on a victory, FIU was not quite done fighting.

Corey Stephenson came out in the second half, scoring 17 points, bringing the Panthers within three. However, the downfall tonight for FIU was their poor shooting from behind the arc. Shooting just 3/14 from deep, and one of their worst shooting splits this season. Despite the struggle, Corey tied the game in the final 2:30 minutes.

The Bears immediately responded with a three-pointer of their own and jumped back ahead. With one more opportunity to tie it up, FIU would need to draw its best play with 0.9 to go. Sending up a prayer shot to tie, FIU eventually fell short and ended its season.

Panthers Head Home

Definitely not the outcome the Panthers wanted this season, finishing the year at 15-17. With seven senior graduates and an expiring Head Coach contract, FIU has plenty of room to grow. The Panthers will take the offseason day by day and gear up for another run next year.

(Visited 49 times, 1 visits today)