FIU Men’s Basketball Suffers 2OT Heartbreaker On Senior Day

MIAMI, FL – Senior Days usually create some of the wildest games for FIU Men’s Basketball. Such was the case today, as the Panthers almost completed the upset over Jacksonville State but ran out of gas, falling by a score of 84-19 in double overtime.

The Gamecocks looked to lock up some insurance as the second-seed in Conference USA, but the Panthers gave them all they could handle. After honoring their five seniors (Onyx Pastoriza, George Pridgett Jr, Jaden Grant, Jonathan Aybar, and Dante Wilcox), FIU and Jax  State engaged in a dogfight, with neither team pulling away from the other.

FIU utilized a healthy attack on the paint. They had to, early on, because they struggled to shoot from beyond the arc early, going 3-11 at the half. Instead, Jonathan Aybar helped lead a charge at the rim, ending up with 19 points.

Those 19 points, by the way, were just enough for Aybar to reach 1,000 collegiate points in his career, which includes his first few seasons with the North Florida Ospreys. In addition to that, Aybar provided six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.

Seniors Showing Out

In the second half, the Panthers got on a scoring run early and overtook the Gamecocks. This began a back-and-forth affair between both offenses as they both ran hot. FIU was down by two with four seconds to go in regulation. Needing a clutch play, Jayden Brewer drove to the net and cashed in on the equalizer, sending the game to the first overtime.

Overtime was eventful, with both offenses keeping their foot on the gas. With 21 seconds left in the period (and the shot clock off), FIU had the ball with a chance to win. Unfortunately, Ashton Williamson turned the ball over with a second to go as he was pushing to the rim. As a result, the game continued to a second overtime.

Here’s where the magic began to fade away for FIU. While Jax State couldn’t miss, the Panthers kept turning the ball over, leading to an 11-6 outcome in favor of the Gamecocks.

Overall, the Panthers played more than good enough to win, and they were a shot away from doing so in the first overtime if they got a shot off.

With the loss, FIU’s record falls to 9-20 overall, with a 3-13 record in conference play. They sit last CUSA record-wise – a game behind Sam Houston State. The Panthers will finish the regular season on the road, starting against Western Kentucky on Thursday, March 6th at 8pm,