Corey Stephenson’s 25 points not enough as Panthers dropped by Dukes at home
Finally tested at home against a fellow Division I opponent, the Florida International Panthers came up short, falling to the James Madison Dukes 80-72 in the opener of the FIU multi-team event on Monday.
Corey Stephenson led the Panthers with 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting, including 5-of-14 from the three-point line, and seven rebounds. The senior guard, who transferred from Cal State Bakersfield, led the FIU offense in the first half with 15 points as the Panthers went into halftime leading 45-41.
Senior guard Julian Mackey scored 11 points for the Panthers on 3-of-9 shooting and three free throws. Sophomore guard Ashton Williamson added 10 points to round out FIU’s double-digit scorers.
James Madison was led by junior forward Justin McBride, who scored 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 3-of-6 from three-point range, and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. He also grabbed nine rebounds and two blocks. Bradley Douglas added 11 points with nine free throws.
As a team, the Panthers (6-of-16) made one more three-pointer than the Dukes (5-of-17), which largely explains their 45-41 lead at halftime. Brit Harris scored four points on a three and a free throw to highlight an 11-5 run to give the Panthers a 22-15 lead with 10:28 left in the first half.
In the second half, the Panthers shot 4-of-15 from the arc to finish the game with the same three balls as James Madison (10). Both teams shot 35 percent from the field but the Dukes had one extra basket and five more free throws. James Madison out-rebounded FIU 56-41, led by freshman forward Christian Brown, who grabbed a game high 11 boards.
A dunk by Eli Wilborn tied the game 27-27 with 5:39 left in the first half. It was the highlight of an 8-0 run that gave James Madison a 31-27 lead with 4:47 remaining.
The Panthers responded with a 10-2 run capped by a three-pointer by Zawdie Jackson to give them a 37-33 lead entering the final three minutes of the half. Both teams continued to go back and forth and change leads until a jumper and two free throws by Ibrahim Olajuwon in the final 1:13 ended the half with FIU leading by four.
The second half became a dogfight and the Panthers last held onto a lead with 7:17 remaining after an Olayinka free throw to go up 66-65. The Dukes finished the game outscoring FIU 15-6 through the game’s final seven minutes. Back-to-back three-pointers by McBride put the Dukes up 74-67 with four minutes remaining.
A three-pointer by Mackey put FIU within three points nearing the final minute, but it turned out to be the Panthers’ last basket.
FIU (2-3) won its first two home games against non-NCAA competition in Florida National and Ft. Lauderdale but lost on the road to LSU and Nebraska. This game against a member of the Sun Belt was meant to truly gauge the kind of team FIU has.
The Panthers host Omaha on Wednesday at 2 p.m. James Madison (4-3) will play Omaha at FIU on 7 p.m, Tuesday.
Impressive game from Corey Stephenson! His 25 points and strong first-half performance really set the tone for FIU’s offense. It’s exciting to see how his transfer from Cal State Bakersfield paid off. Just like in uno online , timing and smart moves make all the difference—Stephenson showed that perfectly on the court. Can’t wait to see how the Panthers build on this momentum!
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Although the Panthers lost their home game, Corey Stephenson’s 25 points were impressive. The game’s momentum changed in the latter part of the game, and the cheap college assignment help defensive mistakes were costly.