FIU Survives Back-And-Forth Battle, Takes Down Missouri State

MIAMI, FL – In a desperate need of a conference win with a handful of games to go, FIU Men’s Basketball shook off a Missouri State comeback and defeated the Bears by a score of 70-67.

The Panthers are fighting for their spot in the Conference USA Tournament, and with four games left to go, that’s in jeopardy. Despite a promising first half, FIU could not pull away in the second as it became a back-and-forth affair between them and the Bears. Before you knew it, the Pantherswere in a familiar spot – a chance to win the game on their final offensive possession.

Retribution For Corey

So, they turned to Corey Stephenson, who had two opportunities to win the game against Liberty a couple of days ago, but came up short. This time, however, the stars aligned, and he sank a three-point shot to take the lead with just over two seconds left.

COREY STEPHENSON!!@STBCOREY HITS FROM THE COASTLINE AND FIU (@FIUHoops) WINS pic.twitter.com/yuLyt3tSlc

— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) February 21, 2026

Despite a solid showing in the first half, FIU couldn’t hold on to a nine-point lead in the second half. While not by much, the Bears led the battles in rebounding and assists at the time.

Despite this, the Panthers never gave up the lead. Missouri State tied the game a few times down the line, but their only other time leading the game was when the score was 4-2.

In the end, FIU did force more turnovers – 14 to be specific, cashing in on 17 points off of them. Near the rim, they made the Bears pay with five blocks and 40 points in the paint. Stephenson may have had the game-winner, but Julian Mackey led the way with 22 points.

With the win, the Panthers improve their record to 13-14 and 6-10 in Conference USA. They now stand in 10th place in CUSA, just enough to get into the conference tournament if they can hold on.

They control their own destiny, and that starts with a trip to Huntsville to take on Sam Houston. That’ll be on Thursday, February 26th at 9pm.

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