Germany’s double-double leads Roadrunners past FIU on ThursdayGermany’s double-double leads Roadrunners past FIU on Thursday
Jamal Cooley/UTSA Athletics
Men's Basketball

Germany’s double-double leads Roadrunners past FIU on Thursday

 

SAN ANTONIO – Jacob Germany had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Dhieu Deing had 19 and Jordan Ivy-Curry added 17 to lead UTSA men's basketball to a 73-66 comeback win over FIU, on Thursday night at the Convocation Center. 
 
UTSA (8-13, 1-7 Conference USA) saw an eight-point lead at halftime erased late in the second half as FIU (12-8, 2-5 C-USA) made 16 of its first 22 shots to open the final stanza, taking a 61-56 lead with 5:26 left. The Roadrunners then spurted off on a 13-2 run to take a 69-63 lead and closed the game scoring 17 of the final 22 points to secure the win over the Panthers. 
 
The Roadrunners used an early 20-5 run to take a 22-8 lead in the opening minutes of the game and sported a 30-22 lead at halftime, with Germany owning 12 points and Ivy-Curry 10. The Roadrunners shot 36 percent in the first half and held FIU to a 27-percent clip but the Panthers shot 72.7 percent to open the half, making 16 of 22 shots to take a 61-56 lead.
 
The Roadrunners rallied to score 17 of the final 22 points, including five points from Ivy-Curry and Deing, four from Germany, and a key 3-pointer from Erik Czumbel. 
 
A native of Kingston, Okla., Germany notched his fifth double-double of the year and the 11th of his career, going for 23 points – on 10 of 18 shooting – with 11 rebounds in 35 minutes.  
 
Ivy-Curry, who missed the last four games due to COVID-19 health & safety protocols, had 17 points, including three 3-pointers with three assists and four rebounds. 
 
Deing finished with 19 points and four rebounds with 15 points coming in the second half, his first game for the Roadrunners over the last seven outings. He was 5 of 7 in the second half with two rebounds and three 3-pointers. 
 
Darius McNeill, a product of Houston, Texas, had four points, two rebounds and an assist. Czumbel added six points and five assists. 
 

The Roadrunners shot 39.4 percent in the win, holding FIU to 41.3 percent. The Roadrunners committed just four turnovers, owned a 20-4 margin in second-chance points and held a 45-37 lead in rebounds, including 14 offensive boards. UTSA forced 16 turnovers and held the lead for over 35 minutes in the game. 
 
FIU was led by Tevin Brewer, who had 17 points and four assists. 
 
UTSA will return to action on Saturday, playing host to Florida Atlantic at 1 p.m. at the Convocation Center. 
 
Germany sank an 18 footer to open the scoring and after Brewer answered with a triple, Ivy-Curry got on the board with a wing-3 pointer. That started a personal 8-0 run for Ivy-Curry, who hit two at the line and then drilled a step-back 3-pointer for a 10-3 lead. 
 
Deing scored four straight with two at the line before FIU answered with a basket and a triple from Petar Krivokapic to narrow the lead to 14-8. UTSA then spurted off on an 8-0 run, getting two paint buckets from Germany, a tough driving layup from Erik Czumbel and a euro-step transition finish from McNeill. 
 
FIU notched the next six points to cut the lead to 22-14 before Germany snapped the streak with his fourth basket of the first half. 
 
Germany finished a baseline out of bounds play and nailed an 18 footer from the elbow to earn a 28-18 lead with a minute left. After two FIU baskets, Ivy-Curry sank a jumper from inside the arc to take the lead to 30-22 at halftime. UTSA shot 36 percent in the first half, while FIU was held to 27 percent on eight made shots. UTSA owned a 24-21 lead in rebounds at the break, and got 12 points from Germany, with FIU led by Brown's 10 points. 
 
FIU opened the second half with seven straight points to force a timeout from Coach Steve Henson. Germany snapped the streak with an and-1 for a 33-29 lead. 
 
The pace got fast and furious next, as Deing finished a basket at the rim and was immediately answered by an FIU triple. Isaiah Addo-Ankrah got loose on the baseline for a basket and a three-point lead but Vanderbilt transfer Clevon Brown responded with a paint bucket to narrow it to one. Ivy-Curry finished a baseline drive for a three-point lead which was immediately answered by a Brewer deuce. Deing then drilled the first of two triples on consecutive trips down the floor, sandwiched around a Javaunte Hawkins 3-pointer, to take a 45-41 lead into the under 12 minute timeout. 
 
Out of the timeout, Germany hit one at the line before Krivokapic hit a corner 3-pointer. Czumbel sank one at the line on the next trip and Phoenix Ford stretched the lead to 49-45 with a basket in the paint. Deing stole the in-bounds pass under the basket and laid in a bucket for a six-point lead, giving him 10 points in the half. FIU then scored five straight to cut the lead to 51-50 with nine minutes left. 
 
McNeill hit a pair of technical free throws for a 53-50 lead with 8:47 left. The Panthers then scored seven straight to take a 57-53 lead into the under-eight minute timeout, their first lead since 3-2. 
 
Germany snapped the streak with a follow slam to cut the lead to two but Brewer got them back on the other end for a 59-55 lead. Germany hit one at the line to narrow it to 59-56. Ivy-Curry answered an FIU basket with a corner 3-pointer, cutting the lead to 61-59 with 4:45 left. 
 
Deing sank a wing 3-pointer to give UTSA its first lead since 53-52 with 8:37 left. Germany cleaned up the offensive glass for a 64-61 lead and after a FIU basket, Czumbel drilled a wing triple for a 67-63 lead. Germany hit the offensive glass for a 69-63 lead, part of a 13-2 run after UTSA trailed 61-56. 
 
With 58 seconds left, Deing hit two at the line for a 71-63 lead. Denver Jones hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 71-66 with 20 seconds left and Ivy-Curry was fouled with 13.4 seconds remaining, hitting both to secure the win with a 73-66 lead. 
 

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