Men’s Basketball Dominates Defending CUSA Champs In Statement Win

MIAMI, FL – FIU Men’s Basketball began 2025 with a heartbreaking loss to MTSU that came down to the wire. Today, they left no room for error as they dominated Western Kentucky – the defending CUSA Champs – by a score of 85-66.

The Panthers kept the errors at a minimum and took advantage of a poor game shooting-wise for the Hilltoppers. More than anything, their defense denied a massive run in the second half, keeping the lead in double-digits.

WKU was a mediocre tram when it came to rebounding, but FIU exposed them even further, out-rebounding them 25 to 20.

Just about everyone for FIU was provided with points, but Asim Jones and Dashon Gittens led the way with 17 and 14, respectively. The team’s ability to sink three-pointers has grown more consistent, as they landed with a 50% percentage.

An issue for both squads today was holding on to the ball, with 25 turnovers for the Panthers and 20 for the Hilltoppers. However, FIU was the more lethal team when it came to capitalizing off of them, with 24 points.

FIU set themselves for an uneventful second half thanks to a dominant first half, leading by a score of 52-29. They simply cruised to victory in the final 20 minutes – a stress-free win compared to a few of their last contests.

With a 7-8 record, the Panthers will exit Miami for a two-game road trip, starting with Ruston as they take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Thursday, January 9th at 7:30pm.