SAN ANTONIO – UTSA shaved an eight-point deficit to three with four seconds to go, but Giovanni De Nicolao's final-second 3-pointer went off the back iron as FIU escaped the Convocation Center with a 79-76 victory.
UTSA (9-9, 2-3 C-USA) trailed by eight with 1:43 to play before Jhivvan Jackson, who ranks seventh in the NCAA among freshmen scorers, netted a deep jumper and followed 34 seconds later with two at the line. After a pair of missed free throws by FIU, De Nicolao scored in the paint with five seconds showing on the clock. After a foul, Trejon Jacob split two free throws for a three-point Panther lead, setting up the final possession.
FIU's (8-9, 2-2 C-USA) Brian Beard Jr. led five Panthers in double-figures with 20 points. Jacob scored 16, Eric Lockett 15 and both Michael Douglas and Osasumwen Osaghae contributed 10.
Jackson led UTSA with a game-high 22 points, while George Willborn III recorded his third straight double-figure game with 15 points to go along with seven boards and De Nicolao added 10. Byron Frohnen was the game's leading rebounder with 11.
FIU outshot the Roadrunners 45 percent to 39 percent, including a 47 to 30 percent edge from 3-point range. UTSA controlled the boards 41-38, which led to a 13-5 advantage in second-chance points. FIU outscored the Birds 30-24 in the paint and turned 14 turnovers into 17 points.
UTSA twice cut its 10-point halftime deficit to two possessions in the opening six minutes of the second half, but each time FIU answered with points at the free-throw line. The Panthers grew their lead to 61-49 on a Cordell Veira layup at the 12:10 mark, but were unable to expand on it as UTSA kept FIU scoreless on five of the ensuing eight possessions.
As FIU struggled to score, the Roadrunners cut their deficit to a few as five at 73-68 with 2:37 to play before a Douglas three and a Beard Jr layup bookended a Nick Allen jumper, giving the Panthers an eight-point lead before the Roadrunners' final two-minute push.
UTSA led 13-9 after a pair of free throws by Jackson before FIU made each of its next six shot attempts, including five 3-pointers, as part of a 19-3 run that pushed the Panthers ahead 28-16 at the 11:32 mark of the opening period. UTSA responded with an 11-2 streak of its own, trimming the Panther lead to 31-28 with just over eight minutes to go before the half. However, FIU closed period with 16 of the final 25 points to take a 47-37 lead into the locker room.
FIU, which entered the game averaging 6.6 3-pointers per game, made 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc and added 12 free throws in the opening 20 minutes. UTSA made four 3-points in the stanza and nine at the line.
Up next
The Roadrunners play their second of three consecutive home games when Florida Atlantic comes to the Alamo City on Saturday, Jan. 13. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
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