FAU Hosts FIU for In-State Rivalry What : #15 FAU (7-2) vs FIU (3-7) When : Wed. Dec. 13th, @ 7:00 PM Where : Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena Series : Panthers lead 28-25 all-time. FAU has won six straight dating back to January 2021. TV : ESPN+ Radio : FoxSports 640 Live Stats : Here Line : FAU -21 FAU at a Glance Offense – 84 PPG, 51% FG, 39% 3PT Defense – 71 PPGA, 43% FGA, 33% 3PTA Rebounding – 37 RPG Owls, 32 RPG Opponents Owl Notables FAU looks to end their 2023 home slate, currently a 12-1 record at The Burrow, with a victory over their in-state rivals. Expect a more efficient showing on the defensive side of the ball. Allowing 98 points to a nationally-ranked Illinois squad last week, which had two of their players score 33 points each, is something the Owls will be sure to have corrected against an FIU side that has a preference to being balanced with their scoring. Center Vladislav Goldin was impressive with a career-high 23 points on 10-15 shooting from the field, but was limited to 19 minutes due to foul trouble. Having him on the court as long as possible will play a key role to the Owls coming out victorious. Keep an eye on guard Jalen Gaffney (pictured above via Bob Markey II). He has been astounding as one of the team’s more consistent playmakers, dishing out 3.6 assists per game as he distributed the ball seven times (season-high) to his fellow teammates. Also maintain tabs on guards Alijah Martin and Brandon Weatherspoon. The former had 13 points but struggled from beyond the arc as he only made one of his seven attempts, so is possible he will be better in that area Wednesday night. As for Weatherspoon, he went scoreless against the Illini defense so it would be fair to assume he will assert himself more against the Panthers to get back on track. Following this game, FAU will travel to Massachusetts to take part in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Springfield, facing the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on December 16th at 4:00 PM. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU. FIU Team Site : Here FIU at a Glance Offense – 72 PPG, 44% FG, 30% 3PT Defense – 76 PPGA, 48% FGA, 34% 3PTA Rebounding – 31 RPG, 38 RPG Opponents Panther Notables Following a poor 1-6 start to the season, FIU has bounced back by winning two of their last three games. Outscoring opponents 230-211 since November 26th, the Panthers have been led by guard Arturo Dean. He is their undisputed leading scorer with 14.1 points per game, creating five assists and grabbing 4.4 rebounds in the process. He is also coming off a recent triple-double against Florida Gulf Coast which includes him making a career-high 10 steals, attributing to him being at the top of the country in steals per game with 4.5 per contest. The Owls will have to be careful with defending guard Javaunte Hawkins. He has made the most three-pointers among the team with 20 this season, firing away at a 35.7% clip. FIU has shown a vulnerability to picking up fouls and letting their opponents get to the free-throw line frequently. They have committed 195 fouls (57th-most nationally) and allowed 228 attempts at the charity stripe, a weakness FAU should expose relentlessly. The Panthers will return to Miami to host a three-game homestand, starting with Trinity College on December 16th at 6:00 PM. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
