MIAMI – FIU's Eric Lovett hit a game-tying, fade away bank shot as time expired in regulation and the Panthers scored 11 of the first 13 points in overtime to post a 90-83 win over UTSA men's basketball, on Saturday night at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
UTSA (6-9, 0-2 Conference USA) held a three-point lead with eight seconds left in regulation but FIU (11-4, 2-0 C-USA) hit the first of two free throws and was called for a lane violation on the second attempt.
The Panthers then stole the inbounds pass on the next possession and Lovett hit a fade away, bank shot to even the game at 77 and force overtime. FIU scored 11 of the first 13 points in overtime to rally past the Roadrunners, two nights after the Panthers edged UTEP, 69-67.
Jhivvan Jackson led the Roadrunners with 30 points, with UTSA also getting 15 points from Keaton Wallace and a career-high 14 points from Luka Barisic. Atem Bior added 10 points. Senior Byron Frohnen had 11 rebounds. Jackson added eight rebounds, with Wallace chipping in five.
FIU's Devon Andrews had 26 points to lead the Panthers. The Panthers have now won 10 of their last 12 games.
UTSA finished the game shooting 42.9 percent from the field and was 10 of 27 from 3-point range. FIU shot 31 free throws to UTSA 17, with FIU finishing the game shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 13 of 34 from distance. UTSA had an edge in rebounding 47-39. FIU owned the lead for over 71.3 percent of the game, holding a nine-point edge in the second half before a furious UTSA comeback allowed the Roadrunners to be in position to win the game in the closing seconds.
UTSA will return to action on Thursday, hosting Louisiana Tech at the Convocation Center. The game will tipoff at 6 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPNU. The game will also air live on Ticket 760 AM and goUTSA.com, with the Voice of the Roadrunners, Andy Everett calling the action.
UTSA got the first five points of its game from Barisic, including a post-move bucket and an and-one, as FIU took an 8-5 lead into the first media timeout. Barisic added a bucket out of the break to cut the lead to 8-7 and Jackson sank his first three on a fadeaway jumper as the shot clock expired to cut the lead to 13-11.
Bior's first basket cut the lead to 14-13 and Wallace found his range with a triple to give UTSA its first led at 16-14. After FIU evened it up, Bior's offensive rebound and bucket gave UTSA an 18-16 lead.
Out of the second media break, FIU drilled a three and Frohnen answered with a tough basket in the paint. After a defensive stop, Wallace laid in a lefty layup for a 22-19 lead. Jackson's floater evened it at 24-24 but FIU drilled a trey to take a 27-24 lead into the third media break. Barisic scored off an in-bounds play out of the timeout, but FIU scored the next five for a 32-26 lead.
Wallace found Bior with a transition bucket to cut the lead to 32-26 and after the sixth FIU 3-pointer of the game saw the lead balloon to seven, Wallace drilled his second triple. Jackson's second trey cut the lead to 36-34 and after the seventh FIU trey, Barisic answered with his first triple. UTSA took the lead with a Knox Hellums' and-1 on a drive and Jackson drilled a buzzer beater, with a foot on the 3-point line, to take the halftime lead to 42-39.
Wallace drilled a deep two to open the half but FIU responded with an 11-0 run to take a 50-44 lead. Jackson stopped the run with a floater in the lane but FIU drilled a triple on the other end. Jackson's find of Barisic in transition cut the lead to 53-48 at the first media break of the second half. Bior answered an FIU basket with a corner triple to cut the lead to 55-51 with 14 minutes left.
Czumbel drilled a corner trey out of a timeout and Jackson followed with his own corner triple, to give UTSA a 57-55 lead. After it was evened at 57, Jackson gave UTSA a 59-57 lead but FIU drilled its first triple of the second half for a 60-59 lead. Hellums and Jackson each drilled a couple of free throws to cut the FIU lead to 64-63 with 7:35 left in regulation.
Jackson's four-point play gave UTSA a 67-65 lead and a Hellums steal and run out led to a 69-65 lead. After a paint of FIU buckets, Jackson's step-back jumper gave UTSA a 71-69 lead but FIU regained the lead with a 3-pointer.
A pair of free throws from Osasumwen Osaghae gave FIU a 74-71 lead as the clock ticked under a minute. Wallace hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 74-72 and after a defensive stop, Jackson drilled a go-ahead triple with 20.4 seconds left. After a defensive stop, Wallace grabbed a rebound and was fouled, hitting a pair of free throws for a 77-74 lead with eight seconds left. FIU hit one free throw and were called for a lane violation on the second, with UTSA inbounding the ball. FIU stole the inbounds pass and drilled a banked in, fadeaway jumper from Eric Lovett to even the game at 77 as the time expired.
FIU scored 11 of the first 13 points in overtime to take a commanding lead and secure the win.
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