Panthers Dominate the Arc and Glass in Win Over LA Tech

---

MIAMI, FL – Following a tough Thursday night loss at The Bank, FIU began the game scoring 11 unanswered points. Louisiana Tech was then able to score points off turnovers, but the three-point shooting kept the Panthers on top with the lead during the first half.

Despite the Bulldogs having a lead in the second half, FIU went on a scoring run and made stops to retake control of the game. The Panthers were able to dominate behind the arc and on the glass in a 77-64 win over LA Tech.

Panthers Start Game on 11-0 Run

The Panthers opened the game with a fast-paced offense, jumping to an 11-0 start. Ashton Williamson splashed a three-pointer in the opening minute. Hamed Olayinka and Eric Dibami both scored by driving in the paint on layups. Then, Williamson made a jumper to cap off the impressive run.

“We just wanted to come here and prove to ourselves that, “hey we moved on from what happened on Thursday,” and that’s the character of these guys,” said Coach Jeremy Ballard. “They’re always excited to play. They really believe in who we can beat and what we wanna try to do is go 1-0 every day.”

“As I mentioned earlier, we went 1-0 yesterday. We went 1-0 in terms of how we approached film work, how we approached scout work, how we approached our recovery lifts, how we approached the short time we spent on the court. It allowed us to go 1-0 today.”

“We have six more opportunities to go 1-0 and we know we have a chance to do that. The most important game is the next game. It’s gonna be that way for the remaining six until the tournament comes in Alabama. It’s within our control to be the hottest team going into the tournament and that’s our hope.”

eric ain't messing around today 😱@eric_dibami pic.twitter.com/r8wTvpRCQ3

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) February 14, 2026

The Bulldogs then picked up the pace to make it a four-point game after FIU started losing the ball off turnovers. Up 17-13, Brit Harris then capitalized on a Bulldog turnover with a three-pointer to extend the lead to seven.

Again, Louisiana Tech kept it close, pulling within one point before Corey Stephenson dropped a three-pointer, forcing LA Tech to call a timeout in a close 26-22 game.

step slide 💸@STBCOREY pic.twitter.com/znP5YFj5SB

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) February 14, 2026

FIU always came through with a three-pointer when needed. With the game tied late in the first half, Zawdie Jackson made the assist to Ashton Williamson, and he did the rest of the work with a downtown shot, making it 31-28.

The Panthers shot for just 38% from the floor, but they did have a 36% percentage from behind the arc. Their six steals and 13 points off turnovers were a true testament to their ability to turn defensive plays into points.

FIU Lead Slips, but 9-0 Run Sparks Comeback

Their three-pointer success transitioned in the second half. Jackson made a three-pointer to give the Panthers a 38-31 lead at 19:09.

However, the turnovers would begin to pile up for the Panthers. LA Tech took advantage of these costly turnovers and broke out on an 8-0 run to take a 50-44 lead.

Three-pointers continued to keep FIU in this game. Williamson dropped a shot from behind the arc, and then Stephenson made another to cut their deficit to 52-51 at 10:48.

LARRY IS AN O-BOARD MACHINE TODAY 🎰@olayhamed pic.twitter.com/QQoFiVCe0t

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) February 14, 2026

Midway through the half, FIU came back with new life on a 9-0 run. Olayinka, Dibami, and Stephenson became a threat in the paint with layup points. Jackson capped off the run with a three-point bucket to make it 60-53.

DETONATION TO PUT US UP BY 10💥💥💥@zawdie1 X @STBCOREY pic.twitter.com/RIJNXgYJAn

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) February 14, 2026

The Panthers continued to run away with the game in the second half with a dominant 10-0 run. Dibami and Stephenson were both a wreck in the paint during that stretch, and Jackson scored a stepback jumper for 3. FIU had its biggest lead of the game at 73-57.

FIU finished the game winning behind the arc and on the glass. They made 10/22 (45%) three-pointers and totaled 40 rebounds, including 17 offensively.

They scored 44 points in the second half and ended the game making nine of their last 11 baskets.

Final
Louisiana Tech 64 | FIU 77

FIU earns a huge CUSA win. Three-pointers (45%) and a 40 rebound effort were the keys in today’s victory. pic.twitter.com/sQOS6uF85r

— Ricardo Urrusuno (@RickScores) February 14, 2026

Balanced Effort

All five of the Panthers’ starters scored in the double digits, and each posted a positive +/-.

Zawdie Jackson led the team in scoring with 20 points on 3/5 three-point shooting with three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. It was his third 20+ point performance of the season.

“I feel like that’s my biggest asset to the team, especially me being older than the other guys,” said Jackson. “So, if I can do that every night, it puts us in great position to win.”

Hamed Olayinka dominated on defense with 17 rebounds, five blocks, and he scored nine points while dishing out three assists. This was his fourth double-double of the season, and he marked career-highs in rebounds and blocks.

“I think, we came with the mindset of giving energy,” said Olayinka. “Corey kept saying before the game “we need this one, need this one, and I think it helped us lock in as a team.””

Corey Stephenson scored 16 points on 3/6 three-point shooting with three rebounds. Eric Dibami finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Ashton Williamson scored 11 points on 3/5 three-point shooting with two boards.

What’s Next

FIU takes a quick trip to Liberty to take on the Flames on February 19 at 6 pm.

About Post Author