SAN ANTONIO – Winners of three of its last four games, UTSA men's basketball will hit the road to face FIU in a pair of games in Miami, starting on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The series will conclude on Saturday at 1 p.m. with both games set for broadcast live on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM.
UTSA (8-9, 4-6 Conference USA) comes into the matchup with FIU after splitting a two-game matchup with UTEP last week. UTSA posted an 86-79 win on Thursday in the opener in San Antonio, getting 32 points from Jhivvan Jackson, before falling on Saturday night in El Paso, 68-51. UTSA and UTEP were tied with 11 minutes remaining before the Roadrunners went scoreless for an eight minute stretch and the Miners were able to race past for the win.
The Roadrunners have been led by the dynamic senior guard combination of Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace. Jackson leads the team with 19.6 points per game, shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line. Wallace averages 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The pair have led the NCAA's backcourts in scoring the last two seasons, combining for 46.5 points per game last year. Jackson set a C-USA standard with 26.8 points per game, all while breaking UTSA records for career and season scoring.
Sophomore center Jacob Germany, a product of Kingston, Okla., averages 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, with a team-leading 21 blocks.
Freshman guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, a native of La Marque, Texas, has started the last two games and averages 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range in league play, averaging 8.5 points per outing against C-USA foes.
Juniors Cedrick Alley Jr. and Eric Parrish have had a large impact in their debut seasons at UTSA. Alley averages 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while Parrish chips in 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing.
The Roadrunners are averaging 75.8 points per game, surrendering 76.2. UTSA is shooting 42 percent as a team and 30.8 percent from range, while foes are shooting 43.4 percent and 35.6 percent from distance. UTSA averages 38 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 12.1 turnovers, six steals and 3.2 blocks per game.
FIU (8-10, 2-8 C-USA) come into the matchup with UTSA coming off a non-conference win on Monday night at the Ocean Bank Coliseum. FIU has lost seven consecutive games
The Panthers have shot 43.8 percent as a team in 2020-21 and 34.4 percent from 3-point range. FIU has averaged 34 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 14.3 turnovers, 8.8 steals and 4.0 blocks per game. Opponents are shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from distance.
FIU has been led by Antonio Daye Jr., a guard who plays with great pace and has an attack the basket mentality. Daye averages 17.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, with 80 assists and 36 steals. Rashad Davis ranks second on the team with 13.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Eric Lovett averages 12.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per outing. Tevin Brewer is the lone Panther to start each game of the year, averaging 9.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
The overall series between the two schools is led by FIU 6-5, with UTSA owning a 3-2 mark in games played in Miami. UTSA has won three of the last five meetings in the series.
In the last meeting in Miami last year, FIU claimed an overtime win on C-USA opening weekend, 90-83. UTSA owned a lead in the closing seconds and were attempting to inbound the ball with a 77-75 lead before FIU's Eric Lovett stole the inbounds and sank a game-tying, fade away bank shot as time expired to force overtime at 77-77. FIU then scored 11 of the first 13 points in overtime to secure the win.
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